Hit back-to-back, tornado survivors preparing for more severe weather in Southeast Missouri

POPLAR BLUFF, Mo., (KBSI) – Survivors of recent tornadoes are preparing for more severe weather in Southeast Missouri.

Butler County residents – hit by two tornadoes in a single month – are now facing the possibility of severe storms Wednesday, and into the weekend. The mid-March EF-3 tornado that destroyed hundreds of homes and other properties was followed by an EF-1 tornado Sunday night.

Poplar Bluff emergency management agency director Jeff Shawan said two big weather events plus the possibility of a third within just three weeks is new territory for him.

“I’m in my 60s and I’ve never seen anything like this in this region,” he said. “I don’t know anybody else who has either.”

Shawan said they are concerned about the Black River flooding. They’re also concerned about protecting tornado damaged properties from wind and rain. Tarp failure and water damage are just some of the challenges people may face.

Shawan’s number one concern is safety. He encourages people to make a plan in case there’s flooding.

“Please figure out where are you going to be in a safe place,” he said, “and please try to not get out once this rain starts and the wind starts. It’s going to be very, very dangerous.”

Piles of debris sitting in front yards, waiting to be picked up, are another concern. In the Bluff Estates area some homes are nearly hidden behind the piles of tree limbs. Resident Haley Shock said she fears what could happen if heavy winds were to sweep through her street where large tree debris piles are in nearly every front yard.

“We have a lot of debris,” she said, “and if the wind comes through as much as it did last time, this is going straight into the house – it’s going straight into the neighbors.”

Shock said the chance of flying tree debris is not something they’re prepared for.

“It almost feels like we need to board up the windows and everything just so we don’t have any damage,” she said, “but you just never know.”

Shock said her family wasn’t prepared for the power outages after the EF-3 tornado hit their neighborhood in March. This time they’ve stocked up on emergency preparedness supplies.

“We were not prepared with flashlights,” she said. “So this time around, we went ahead and we’ve stocked up on flashlights, got a tote prepared for food, toiletries, things like that.”

Shock said they’re making sure their generator is ready to go so if something were to happen, they would be prepared in their own home.