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TechnographSeven counties declared disaster areas
By Danielle Gaines
Posted: 3/14/06 Section: News
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Howling winds and damaging hail from a Springfield tornado could be heard, but not seen, by two University of Illinois at Springfield students as they spent Sunday night hunched in an Olive Garden kitchen.
Graduate student Jenny Spraggs, undergraduate Mary Sexton and the other patrons of the restaurant took cover after Sexton's husband called her cell phone to warn them of the coming danger.
The diners remained in the back of the restaurant for two hours until the storm, which hit ground in Springfield around 8:15 p.m., passed.
"It was total chaos," Spraggs said of the conditions when they emerged.
Ed Shimon, a senior meteorologist for the National Weather Service's Lincoln office, said 10 tornados touched ground in Central Illinois, with 14 total touchdowns in the state. The tornadoes were produced from one storm system that hit between 7:30 p.m. and 11:00 p.m. across different parts of Illinois.
On Monday, Gov. Rod Blagojevich declared seven counties state disaster areas: Ford, Greene, Logan, Morgan, Randolph, Sangamon, and Scott. Springfield is located in Sangamon County. Ford County borders Champaign County to the north.
Don Mitchell, chief of police for the University of Illinois at Springfield, said the worst of the storm hit between 8:00 p.m. and 9:00 p.m.
"We were very fortunate here (at the university)," he said. "We have identified no damage so far."
The majority of Springfield students are off campus for spring break, but 50 to 60 students were taken into underground tunnels for safety by the police department. Students were informed by the police of the weather conditions through the campus intercom system, e-mail and visits to housing.
Though action on campus was swift during Sunday night's storms, Spraggs said she recalled students standing outside and watching the storm during a tornado warning last year.
"When a warning comes out, people do not perceive it as an immediate threat until they have confirmation; so they go outside to look or turn on the radio or TV before taking immediate cover," Shimon said. "It takes time to verify and there isn't always that time because the tornado might be closer than you think."
Graduate student Jenny Spraggs, undergraduate Mary Sexton and the other patrons of the restaurant took cover after Sexton's husband called her cell phone to warn them of the coming danger.
The diners remained in the back of the restaurant for two hours until the storm, which hit ground in Springfield around 8:15 p.m., passed.
"It was total chaos," Spraggs said of the conditions when they emerged.
Ed Shimon, a senior meteorologist for the National Weather Service's Lincoln office, said 10 tornados touched ground in Central Illinois, with 14 total touchdowns in the state. The tornadoes were produced from one storm system that hit between 7:30 p.m. and 11:00 p.m. across different parts of Illinois.
On Monday, Gov. Rod Blagojevich declared seven counties state disaster areas: Ford, Greene, Logan, Morgan, Randolph, Sangamon, and Scott. Springfield is located in Sangamon County. Ford County borders Champaign County to the north.
Don Mitchell, chief of police for the University of Illinois at Springfield, said the worst of the storm hit between 8:00 p.m. and 9:00 p.m.
"We were very fortunate here (at the university)," he said. "We have identified no damage so far."
The majority of Springfield students are off campus for spring break, but 50 to 60 students were taken into underground tunnels for safety by the police department. Students were informed by the police of the weather conditions through the campus intercom system, e-mail and visits to housing.
Though action on campus was swift during Sunday night's storms, Spraggs said she recalled students standing outside and watching the storm during a tornado warning last year.
"When a warning comes out, people do not perceive it as an immediate threat until they have confirmation; so they go outside to look or turn on the radio or TV before taking immediate cover," Shimon said. "It takes time to verify and there isn't always that time because the tornado might be closer than you think."
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