JeromeProphet: Jerome, Illinois' 2006 Tornado

Sunday, March 26, 2006

Jerome, Illinois' 2006 Tornado - W. Jerome Ave

Photo: Jerome, Illinois Tornado Aftermath - Do Not Cross Tape

The photo above was taken from the parking lot of the recently closed "Putt Putt" Miniature Golf. The view is to the south looking out across Wabash Avenue. While I assured the Sheriff's Deputies stationed there that I would not cross their line I only then in that moment understood that the "Do Not Cross" tape was posted to keep people out of the Village of Jerome.

It's an odd feeling to realize that you are living in the midst of a disaster area deemed too dangerous for people to enter. Just around the corner there wasn't any "Do Not Cross" tape posted, and so I ended up on the other side of the tape anyway.

Photo: Jerome, Illinois Tornado Aftermath - Putt Putt Golf Down, But Not Out

The minature golf range, better known locally as "Putt Putt" wasn't damaged much. I'm still holding out for the owner to reopen this local institution. I did have a chance to meet the owner later that morning, and will post some photographs from that encounter.

Photo: Jerome, Illinois Tornado Aftermath - Shopping Cart Hell

The photograph above was taken at a residence on west Jerome Avenue directly across the street from the Shop 'n Save Grocery store. It was one of the oddest sights I have ever witnessed. Almost all of Shop N Save's grocery carts were rolled, or thrown across Jerome Avenue into this residence. The forces involved to accomplish such a task is something to ponder. This home also lost a section of its roof, and had several windows broken out.

Photo: Jerome, Illinois Tornado Aftermath - Shopping Cart Hell II

This photograph is of the same residence above, but is a view down the driveway. Part of me wanted to walk down that driveway to take what would have been some great shots of the destroyed garage mangled in shopping carts, but I followed a "No trespassing" rule that morning unless I needed to get around downed trees, or powerlines. I couldn't find the inhabitants of either residence, and so I respected their property rights - unlike the tornado.

Photo: Jerome, Illinois Tornado Aftermath - Welcome to Shop 'n Save

As I walked into the Shop 'n Save parking lot I began to understand that Jerome was very lucky not to have been wiped clean off the face of the Earth. In the photograph above we see shopping carts jammed between two automobiles. I read only this morning an article in Time Magazine which referred to this odd sight. The next photograph better reveals the tremendous force released by an F2 tornado.

Photo: Jerome, Illinois Tornado Aftermath - Shopping Cart Car Jacking

High winds from the tornado which struck the Village of Jerome, Illinois on the night of March 12th, 2006 raised the rear wheels of this automobile (pictured above) enough for shopping carts to be jammed under it. The Shop 'n Save grocery store is located at the corner of Wabash Avenue, and Chatham Road in Jerome, Illinois - a suburb of Springfield, Illinois.