Power Outage in Carmi, IL

This tornado formed in rural farm country several miles southwest of Carmi, then tracked northeast across residential areas in the southeast and east central parts of the city of Carmi. At least a dozen houses received shingle damage, mostly in Carmi. A few large sheds were extensively damaged, one of which was completely destroyed. Some of the debris from a shed was blown into an assisted living center in Carmi. Dozens of trees were uprooted or snapped, some of which blocked roads. One small johnboat was blown into a pond. Power poles and lines were down along the path. Peak winds based on a storm damage survey were estimated near 100 mph.

Small trees and power lines were down.

In Carmi, snapped trees and power poles were reported. Winds gusted to near 65 mph at Crossville based on a report from a trained spotter.

The tornado touchdown was witnessed by the county emergency management director. The intermittent damage path followed County Road 1100 fairly closely. Near the beginning of the track, a body shop was damaged. Some tree and power line damage occurred. A metal carport was blown away.

The tornado touchdown was witnessed by the county emergency management director. The intermittent damage path followed County Road 1100 fairly closely. Near the beginning of the track, a body shop was damaged. Some tree and power line damage occurred. A metal carport was blown away.

Numerous power lines were blown down.

Power lines were blown down.

The tornado's strength was EF-0 to EF-1 for most of its path, except near the intersection of Route 14 and U.S. Highway 45. Near this intersection just south of Enfield, a 60-by-105 foot storage barn with wooden truss and steel wall construction was destroyed. Debris from the barn was blown up to 400 yards away. Many of the contents of the barn were lost. Two combines were damaged. A nearby car-and-a-half cinder block garage was destroyed, with concrete blocks thrown over 100 yards. One block was hurled through a window of a pickup truck. A dog pen on the north side of the garage was blown away, and two dogs were missing. A 40-foot tower was bent halfway up. A nearby house and barn sustained minimal damage. Several smaller barns were damaged or destroyed along the path. A greenhouse was destroyed near Centerville. Several trees were down and snapped. Two power lines were blown down across Illinois Route 14 just east of Highway 45. Route 14 was closed for about an hour and a half. Many utility poles were snapped off or leaning along both U.S. 45 and Illinois Route 14, as well as a few other locations along the path. This tornado struck some of the same property that the 1925 Tri-State Tornado devastated. Peak winds were estimated near 120 mph. The average path width was about 50 yards.

A swath of damaging straight-line winds around 90 mph extended from Carmi northeast to Crossville. In Carmi and Crossville, there was widespread damage to trees and power lines. Numerous power poles were snapped. Sections of the metal walls of a large warehouse type building in Carmi were peeled back on the south and west sides. A mobile home was knocked off its foundation in Carmi. Much of the city was without power for 36 to 48 hours. Part of the roof was blown off the high school. Uprooted trees fell across homes and vehicles. A carport was blown into trees. In Crossville, numerous trees and limbs were blown down on every street. Some trees landed on houses and vehicles. A mobile home was demolished about a mile east of Crossville.

An intense macroburst about four miles wide continued northeast from southeast Hamilton County into western White County. One home had its roof blown off about five miles north of Norris City just west of U.S. Highway 45. Near Enfield, a mobile home was overturned. Peak winds were estimated near 120 mph. Numerous homes were damaged. Dozens of barns, sheds, and other structures were damaged or destroyed. Many hundreds of trees were uprooted. Power lines were blown down.

An intense macroburst about four miles wide continued northeast from southeast Hamilton County into western White County. One home had its roof blown off about five miles north of Norris City just west of U.S. Highway 45. Near Enfield, a mobile home was overturned. Peak winds were estimated near 120 mph. Numerous homes were damaged. Dozens of barns, sheds, and other structures were damaged or destroyed. Many hundreds of trees were uprooted. Power lines were blown down.

A few trees and utility poles were down in the city. There were some power outages.

Utility crews repaired power lines damaged by falling tree limbs. Numerous tree limbs were blown down on the northwest side of Carmi. A few miles east of Norris City, three large trees were blown down in a front yard. Two of the trees were pine trees, and the other was a maple. All three trees were over 40 feet tall. A trampoline was blown over across the street.

In Carmi, three power poles and a light pole were blown down. A few trees and numerous large tree limbs were blown down. There were numerous power outages. South of Epworth, a couple of trees were down.

In Carmi, three power poles and a light pole were blown down. A few trees and numerous large tree limbs were blown down. There were numerous power outages. South of Epworth, a couple of trees were down.

A large section of the roof was torn off an elementary school on the west side of Grayville. A nursing home in Grayville sustained some roof damage. A barn west of town was destroyed. Several trees and utility poles were down. South of Carmi, some outbuildings were destroyed near Epworth. Sheet metal was blown into a power substation. In Norris City, the Masonic lodge lost its roof. On Route 1, a motorist drove into a fallen tree across the road.

Extensive wind damage occurred, primarily on the west side of Carmi. Trees were snapped or uprooted, limbs were broken, and power poles were snapped. Some damage occurred to structures, such as the removal of the roof from a metal building and shifting of a rear garage wall. A travel trailer was rolled. A dumpster was blown onto a roadway. Debris from an equipment business was blown onto the parking lot of a nearby business. Some of the debris landed on vehicles. The damage area was approximately 1 mile by 1.5 miles. Very little or no damage was reported in downtown Carmi or eastern parts of town.

Numerous trees were blown down from Crossville to Carmi. At Crossville, a home was heavily damaged when a large tree crashed through a kitchen window. Several other property owners in the Crossville area sustained minor wind damage. Trees were reported down over several roadways. A vehicle struck a downed tree in the Phillipstown area. Numerous power outages lingered through the day. Electrical service was restored to all customers within about 12 hours.

Some trees were down around the county. Norris City was especially hard hit, where at least two trees landed on residences. One tree landed on a front porch and vehicle. The other tree fell on a trailer home and broke through the roof. The entire community was without power for several hours. In Carmi, many tree limbs and a few trees were down, causing power outages. A few streets were blocked by downed limbs.

Widespread wind damage occurred in White County. Two mobile homes were overturned. One mobile home a few miles northeast of Enfield was destroyed, along with all its contents. A second mobile home was overturned along County Road 1700 a couple miles north of Carmi. Between Carmi and Enfield, a roof was blown off a barn. Numerous trees were down across the northern half of the county, several of which landed on homes. In Enfield, a machine shed was destroyed, a tree fell on a mobile home, and three other trees landed across roads. The village of Enfield was without power when a utility pole snapped. A couple of trees were blown down in Norris City, including one on U.S. Route 45 just south of town. Utility poles were downed south of Crossville, between Enfield and Carmi, just north of Carmi, and just west of Crossville. In the northwest corner of the county, several poles were downed near Mill Shoals along U.S. Highway 45. An empty 2400-bushel grain bin was destroyed north of Carmi.

A number of trees and power lines were down in Carmi. One tree fell on a house. In Crossville, a tree fell over a trailer.

Tree limbs and power lines were blown down.

Dozens of trees and hundreds of branches were blown down, including some that fell on homes and power lines. Power was out to virtually the entire city of Carmi at one time or another during or after the storm. Trees blocked traffic on about a dozen streets, and at least one car was damaged by a falling tree. There was a report of a double-wide mobile home being blown off its foundation. The problems of downed electric lines and poles were complicated by extensive flash flooding, which slowed the response of repair crews. A number of live wires landed in floodwaters. Power was restored to most residents of the city within 24 hours.

A total of 7.85 inches of rain was measured by the co-operative observer at Carmi during the afternoon, mostly during a three-hour period. Parts of dozens of streets were impassable or inaccessible during and after the storm. The water was slow to recede, and many streets were blocked off, including the two state highways through town. Water up to three feet deep filled many basements and invaded the first floors of some homes. Water was knee-deep in one home, and at least five feet deep in the basement of another home. Water inundated the parking lot of a convenience store, and the occupants of the store were evacuated by a backhoe. Many businesses were closed. Occupants of a mobile home were evacuated, and a basement wall collapsed at a home on Webb Street. Vehicles were swamped, including some cars that stalled while trying to pass through deep water on Main Street. The high water made it difficult or impossible for utility crews and emergency workers to respond to power lines downed by high winds in the storms.

Two power poles were blown down.

Damaging straight-line winds raked northern White County, downing trees and power lines, and destroying at least one pole barn. On County Road 800 East, a school bus was stopped when it was caught between fallen trees. A number of semi-tractor trailers and cars were blown off Interstate 64 about 6 miles west of Grayville. The driver of one of the semis was treated at a local hospital for minor injuries. A second person was injured on Interstate 64, but no details were available. South of Burnt Prairie, several hogs were killed when a silo blew over and crashed into a hog barn. Roofs were blown off several buildings at a fertilizer plant near Burnt Prairie. A number of residences around Centerville were damaged, mainly by downed trees and limbs. Trees and limbs were downed in Crossville and Grayville, including one that fell on a home in Crossville. Several power lines were down in Carmi, and at least two poles were broken.

Thunderstorms produced strong, damaging winds across parts of White County. Numerous trees and power lines were down in Carmi. One large limb fell on a truck.