Saturday evening storms arrived with rain and tempestuous winds, whipping treetops in all directions. Those winds toppled several trees locally, splitting some in half and breaking large limbs off of others. A short drive through town revealed the damage; thankfully, the damage proved relatively minor.
Most of the known damage caused by Saturday’s storms appeared only to have resulted in loss of trees or botanical life. However, a small storage shed, ripped apart at one corner and blown off of its foundation, rested in a backyard east of Krumme Oil on East 9th Avenue. Low branches of a nearby tree caught the shed, preventing it from traveling further.
Meanwhile, a few trees split down the center, blocking roadways in at least two areas of the middle and eastern sections of the cemetery on the other side of town. Throughout the cemetery, broken branches lay unceremoniously scattered, resting where they crashed. Wreaths and other décor peppered the grounds, which are otherwise orderly and well-maintained.
On both the east and west sides of town, trees and branches fell near and onto homes and into streets, blocking driveways and impeding traffic, many of them narrowly missing vehicles. A large tree obstructed half of Elm Street near 2nd Avenue. Further north, near 8th Avenue, branches barely missed the windows of a home’s upper story. To the east, near 6th Avenue and west of the First Baptist Church on Walnut Street, a large tree rested on its side.
By midmorning Sunday, residents worked assiduously, removing leaf and limb litter, repairing swings and canopies, and righting downed fencing. Erected barriers blocked vehicular traffic from roadways affected by downed trees and other refuse. Residents cleared most of the debris by afternoon, just in time