EFFINGHAM, Ill. (WAND) - The Effingham County Emergency Management Agency said a tornado caused extensive damage to homes, businesses in farms in parts of the county Wednesday night.
"An impactful tornado traveled an estimated 12-to-15 miles through northern part of Effingham County," the agency said in an early Thursday morning Facebook post.
The agency previously reported several injuries and said none of them were serious or life-threatening.
“At this time, we have received reports of injuries but no fatalities," EMA Coordinator Pam Jacobs said in the post. "We have also received reports of damaged houses and buildings along the path of the tornado. We are incredibly grateful for the quick action of our first responders.”
Effingham County EMA said on Facebook Thursday that it believes 30 homes are total losses, while 29 others were heavily damaged. Effingham County EMA said teams from the agency and the Illinois Emergency Management Agency (IEMA) will visit affected areas beginning on Friday and are expected to take several days.
Effingham County officials have created a damage reporting survey and dashboard for residents affected by storms. If your home, business, farm, or property sustained damage, submit a report. The information collected helps local and state officials assess the overall impact. You can submit a damage report here.
WAND News viewers sent videos of a large tornado move through an area near Green Creek, about five miles north of Effingham. Other videos and pictures showed damage to homes, snapped trees, and downed power lines.
As of 3 p.m. Thursday, Effingham County reported about 700 customers still without power, according to PowerOutages.us.
According to the Effingham Fire Department, a tornado moved through the county just after 8 p.m. Effingham firefighters responded to several emergency calls, mainly in the Shumway and Sigel areas.
The damage in those areas included heavily damaged homes, downed power lines, motor vehicle crashes, collapsed structures and blocked roadways.
The Effingham County Sheriff's Office said they responded to:
- 17 calls involving utility-related problems
- 14 calls involving homes, farms or businesses that sustained heavy damage or structural collapse
- 2 storm-related vehicle accidents
- 2 business alarm calls attributed to weather conditions
- 3 calls involving reports of smoke, gas, or fire odors
- 1 storm-related emergency medical assistance call
- 8 weather-related calls, including reports of downed trees, funnel clouds, and tornado touchdowns
Early Thursday morning, Effingham County Board Chair Josh Douthit announced a disaster declaration for the county. He said the declaration frees up and expedites resources to parts of the county impacted by the tornado.
"At a time when many residents and first responders need support and resources Effingham County will be able to assist when and where appropriate and cooperate with local, state, and federal agencies to continue the recovery and restoration efforts needed for all of our residents," Douthit said.
First responders are discouraging people from driving around to look at damage. Some roads are not passable, but congested areas creates issues for first responders trying to get to people who might need help.
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