Jerome, Illinois' 2006 Tornado - Reed Avenue

Photo: Reed Avenue In Jerome, Illinois Blocked With Trees Felled From Tornado

Walking west down Reed Avenue in Jerome, Illinois early on the morning of March 13th, 2006 I found that the street was blocked by several trees. The photograph above shows several trees felled by the tornado of the night before. A large pine tree is broken from its stump, and thrown across Reed Avenue. This was just down the road from the Jerome Civic Center, Jerome's Police Department Building. Something about the way the large pine appeared captured my interest. I noticed a similar end met a large pine on Glenn Avenue. Both pines had broken off from their stumps, while non-evergreen trees were tossed over from their roots.



Photo: Reed Avenue In Jerome, Illinois Blocked With Trees Felled From Tornado

I find the photograph (above) of the pine tree's jagged stump filled with beauty. It wasn't a clean break. A definate struggle ocurred, until suddenly the tree was ripped from its base quite violently. That struggle may have only taken a second thus ending the life of a tree which had lasted decades. I suspect that pine trees, having a greater mass than other trees this time of year due to their pine needles, created this ripping effect. The tornado winds were in excess of 120 mile per hour.



Photo: Reed Avenue In Jerome, Illinois Blocked With Trees Felled From Tornado

Once past the pine tree, looking west down Reed Avenue, I used my camera's zoom lens to bring the shot above a bit closer. There were more felled trees to investigate, and so onward I walked. In the background, beyond the trees is the Montvale Plaza commercial center.



Photo: Reed Avenue In Jerome, Illinois Blocked With Trees Felled From Tornado

At the base of a hill I noticed something odd. The driver of an automobile had come up to the yellow "Do Not Cross" tape, and began honking his horn as if someone would simply move the trees to let him drive further into the Village of Jerome. What must he have been thinking?



Photo: Reed Avenue In Jerome, Illinois Blocked With Trees Felled From Tornado

The photo above doesn't actually do this site justice. The root structure was nearly orange, and contrasted with the black Illinois dirt. Once again, I found beauty in the death of these trees. I wasn't looking for it, but there it was anyway. This was a large old tree I used to pass nightly on my evening walks through Jerome. The tree had a slightly spooky look while living, and the roots look spooky in this photograph.


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