Residents count blessings after tornado strikes Williamson County
WILLIAMSON COUNTY, Ill. (KBSI) — A tornado swept through Williamson County on Friday evening, causing widespread destruction from west to east but leaving no fatalities, according to local officials.
Trees were snapped and splintered along Hudgens Road, where debris has piled high as residents and volunteers work to clear roads and yards.
Resident Anita Binns said she was watching the weather forecast Friday evening and stepped outside to get a look at the clouds. When she turned around she saw debris flying in her direction.
“I flew in the house and yelled, ‘Get down, get down!’” Binns recalled. “I got to my knees and just started saying, ‘Jesus, Jesus, Jesus.’”
Binns and her family took shelter in their living room and prayed the house wouldn’t collapse on top of them.
“We could feel the force just swirling around our home as we waited for it to pass,” she said.
The family was unharmed, though their property sustained damage from downed trees. One yard fixture, however, remained untouched.
“The tree is gone, but Jesus — our Jesus statue, which was underneath that tree — is still standing,” Binns said. “He never budged. Hallelujah.”
Some of the worst destruction occurred on Quarter Horse Road where some homes have been torn apart, caved in, or had the entire roof blown off.
Emergency crews and community members have been working since late Friday to clear fallen trees and debris.
Resident Curtis Runge said the storm ripped the metal roof covering from his home and destroyed trees he and his wife planted decades ago.
“My wife and I bought this in ’91. It was a pasture — cattle were on it. We built our house and we planted every tree,” Runge said.
Every pine tree was a Christmas tree they transplanted around their property. Most of those trees are now destroyed, including their Bradford pears.
Despite the loss, Runge expressed gratitude that no lives were lost.
“We can rebuild, you know, and you can’t bring a life back,” he said. “So we’ll rebuild. We’ll be alright.”
The National Weather Service has yet to release the storm’s official rating.
