WINDS CAUSE HEAVY DAMAGE IN AREA; NO SERIOUS INJURIES REPORTED FROM STROMS THAT HIT CAPE

A winter storm packing heavy rain, hail and strong winds raced through the Cape Girardeau area Monday, damaging buildings and causing power outages

The storm downed power lines, leaving some 5,600 residential and commercial customers of AmerenUE without electricity in Cape Girardeau, Chaffee and Delta. Lightning disrupted some long-distance telephone service in the area.

The storm dumped 1 to 3 inches of rain, on average, across Southeast Missouri and Southern Illinois. As much as 4 to 7 inches of rain fell in areas along the Ohio River, the National Weather Service said.

The Weather Service in Paducah, Ky., said it wasn't a tornado that caused the damage. The Weather Service said strong winds roaring along at speeds of up to 70 mph with downbursts of 90 to 100 mph caused the major damage. The Weather Service reached its conclusion following a first-hand inspection of damage in the Cape Girardeau area.

Hardest hit was an area along Highway 74 just west of Interstate 55 and in the 1200 block of South Kingshighway in Cape Girardeau.

The storm demolished a mobile home and several camper trailers on Highway 74. It caused damage at Genesis Transportation, a trucking company at the Highway 74, Dutchtown exit on I-55. Part of the roof of a building housing the trucking company's office was ripped off and the company's nearby mechanics shop was damaged.

A short distance to the east, high winds damaged several businesses on South Kingshighway. It blew the roof off the Southeast Missouri Stone Company's quarry office.

Amazingly, no one was seriously injured in the storm, which swept through the area about 9 a.m.

"It was really scary," said Carla Wren, a secretary for Genesis trucking who took cover under a desk when the storm hit. "We just heard like a roar," recalled Wren. "We couldn't see because it was raining so hard."

The storm ripped off part of the roof, flooding the office with torrential rain. "We had water leaking everywhere," she said.

Two mechanics were in the shop when the storm struck, demolishing the metal building. Neither mechanic was hurt. "One mechanic just jumped under a truck," she said.

Fred Robertson, 74, was in his Highway 74 mobile home when the storm hit. His home was destroyed, but he escaped serious injury.

Neighbor Judy Middleton was in her house when the storm struck. Like Robertson, she escaped injury. "We were awfully lucky," she said late Monday morning as she surveyed the destroyed and damaged buildings along Highway 74.

Dave Hitt, Cape Girardeau County's emergency management director, surveyed the scene of destruction on Highway 74 late Monday morning. He was relieved over the lack of serious injuries. "It was a miracle," he said.

Ladonna McAlister was working in the Southeast Missouri Stone Co. office and weight-scale house at 1224 S. Kingshighway when the storm hit. The high winds ripped the roof off the building. She suffered some cuts and had to have stitches on one arm.

"She is fine," said Frank Geske Jr., general manager of mining operations for the Delta Companies, which operates the Southeast Missouri Stone Co. quarry.

Workers at the quarry spent the morning removing office desks, papers and equipment from the water-logged building.

The storm shut down the quarry. "It took our computer system out and knocked our scale out," said Geske.

But he said the company planned to be up and running again today, operating out of its adjacent asphalt plant.

Geske said there were some 20 workers in and around the quarry when the storm struck.

The lack of serious injuries didn't escape Geske's notice. "We were very lucky," he said.

Doug Groesbeck, AmerenUE's district manager, said the storm pulled down power lines, including a transmission line along Highway 74. Lightning added to the power problems, he said.

Power for most customers was restored by early afternoon. A section of Highway 74 west of I-55 remained closed to traffic late Monday afternoon because of downed power lines.