Dongola Tornado 2002
The storm system began in Kansas and ended in Maryland. It did damage west of Cape Girardeau with peak winds of 180 mph. It seemed to diminish through Cape Girardeau County, but picked up intensity as it crossed the Mississippi River and touched down in the forest north of Mill Creek, south of Jonesboro.
The Paducah National Weather Service report...
April 28, 2002, before 2 a.m.
***ESTIMATED MAX WIND SPEED: UNION...JOHNSON COUNTY TORNADO - 180 MPH
***ESTIMATED INITIAL TIME OF TOUCHDOWN IN UNION COUNTY...118 AM CDT
***DAMAGE PATH WIDTH: UNION...JOHNSON COUNTY TORNADO - 400 YARDS AT ONE OF ITS WIDEST POINTS.
*** Damage area: the tornado initially touched down 4 and 1/2 miles west of Mill Creek (Union county). The tornado then traveled east across the rest of Union County and hit the town of Dongola. Then the tornado moved into Johnson County...And directly affected the town of Cypress. The tornado then lifted just east of Cypress at around 200 am. The tornado traveled a total of 16 miles and was classified as an F3 tornado.
***Injuries: 8 injuries in Union county. 2 injuries in Johnson County.
***Fatalities: 1 in Dongola (union county)...69 yr old woman. This woman was trying to flee her mobile home to safety. She got in her car... started the engine and turned the lights on. She was blown out of the car and found dead under a structure across the road from where the vehicle was parked and still running.
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It touched down in a forest area just north of Mill Creek, south of Jonesboro, before 2 am. Two to three small tornadoes, darting around, in and out of the clouds, a bit like mischievous children, cleared an erratic path along Sweet Potato road (NE of Mill Creek} to the Dongola Lake, destroying some houses on the lake.
It crossed the railroad and Front Street in the south part of town, and climbed across the hill behind the old high school building. Just east of town, on Shake rag road, it claimed the life of an elderly woman as she tried to get from her mobile home to her car.
The twister went on to destroy the Cypress Grade School, nine miles east. The same storm system continued well into Western Kentucky, and on to Maryland. It killed six people.
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April 28, 2002 was a date that Dongola and Cypress citizens will remember for a very long time. The Headline of the Dongola Tri-County Record on Thursday, May 2, 2002 was: "Killer Tornado Hits Dongola"
Janie L. Chamness, 69, was killed by the tornado that blew a path of destruction through Dongola about 1:33 a.m. Sunday. Mrs. Chamness lived in a mobile home on Shake Rag road on the east side of Dongola. Coroner Darryl Rendleman said a witness living nearby saw the lights of her car on. Rendleman assumed she was attempting to find safer quarters, realized she didn't have time and went back into her home.
The Coroner said the twister swept the mobile home off the concrete pad. The victim was found about 300 ft. across the road in a ditch among the debris from her home. Coroner Rendleman said Mrs. Chamness died from massive head injuries.
The Shake Rag road area was one of those receiving major damage. The home of Mrs. Chamness' daughter and son-in-law next door, Terrie and Willie Rhymer, had portions standing, but was demolished along with several vehicles.
Across the road the mobile homes of Jeff Brown and Stanley and Cindy Rider were destroyed.
Down the road, the home of Mr. and Mrs. Carl Lingle was moved on its foundation and squashed by trees. The Lingles were awakened by their grandson because of strong wind and only had time to hit the floor by their bed as a tree crashed on the bedroom roof, mashing the ceiling to a few feet above them.
On the west side of town, Lake road was severely struck. The home of Eddie and Donna Goins was destroyed and a camper, parked in the yard, is missing. The house next door also was destroyed.
Across the road the mobile homes of Stephen Simmerman and Casey George were destroyed.
As the tornado, an F3 or larger, came into town from the west, major damage occurred in its path, from three to four tenths of a mile wide, Fire Chief Rick Acuff said Sunday afternoon some 30 to 35 families were homeless and at least seven were injured in addition to the fatality.
All fire departments in Union County were in Dongola to assist with the disaster along with County Police departments, State Police, Union County Rescue, Karnak, Ullin and Olmsted Fire Departments, Baptist Union Association Disaster team, Ullin Baptist church, Anna Heights Baptist church and several work groups. Food was provided at the Baptist church and the school.
Monday, Marion emergency personnel were here to assist and following the Marion tornado some years ago, had experience in the state and governmental agencies to contact for assistance and procedures to follow to help in the cleanup process.
Sunday as the day progressed, cleanup crews and utility crews were severely affected by sightseers blocking the street even though police attempted to limit them. Sunday evening emergency personnel virtually shut the town down and by Monday morning residents needed a written pass to go to work or other essential tasks.
As the twister crossed the railroad tracks, several of the large electrical poles on south Front Street were broken. Dongola's electrical power is fed from the south, and those poles had to be replaced before power could even get into town. All the streets in the path had many broken poles and very few power lines. By Tuesday electricity was restored to most homes in condition for it.
The path of the storm caused major damage to homes on S. Front Street, up the hill to Charles Street, E. Cross, Oak, and top of Elm Street at the Hanford Kaufman home and on to the Shake Rag Road.
Cypress school and the village of Cypress also were reported as receiving major tornado damage. Union County is among the counties declared a federal disaster area by Illinois Governor George Ryan.
Nine homes were completely destroyed by the tornado in Dongola. 42 homes received major damage and 111 homes minor damage and another 18 homes were affected in some way. - from Tri County Record and Dongola Library.
A NOTICE Printed in the Dongola Tri-County Record: May 2, 2002
Village President Teddy L. Earnhart, Village Trustees, Dongola Fire Chief Ricky Acuff and the entire Fire Department, Police Chief John Snell and Village Employees want to express their sincere appreciation to ALL who have come to the aid of the Village during this terrible disaster. There is no way we can begin to thank each one individually. Your assistance has been invaluable and will never be forgotten!
First Baptist Church of Dongola is taking names and phone numbers of anyone needing helping clearing yards, driveways and/or small repair work on homes following the tornado in Dongola. The Red Cross was at the First Baptist Church after the disaster.
The Church of Christ and Lutheran church offered food and clothing to those in need. Share and Care, Inc. kept longer hours and gathered basic household needs for starting a household from scratch. The Osman Family gave $32,000 toward helping families needing assistance with recovery from tornado damage.
Tornadoes, warnings and watches are frequently televised in spring and fall due to changeable weather in this area. Southern Illinois is frequently caught between the two jet streams from Canada and the Gulf, which causes volatile weather when the cold dry air and the warmer wet air meet. We are unofficially part of the country known as Tornado Alley.