Police and fire departments in Marion County were inundated with calls Monday night after a severe line of thunderstorms swept through the area, prompting both tornado and severe thunderstorm warnings. Fortunately, there have been no reports of injuries.
Emergency Response to Fallen Trees and Lightning Strikes
The Salem Fire Department first responded to a report of a tree that had fallen on a home at 420 South Franklin, trapping the resident inside. Firefighters safely evacuated the resident, and the case was handed over to Ameren for further handling.
Another incident involved a possible lightning strike at a home located at 1437 North College. Firefighters cut two holes in the roof to ensure the fire was completely extinguished. Fortunately, no one was home at the time of the incident.
Transformer and Power Issues
Firefighters also responded to a transformer fire behind a home on East Bennett Street. Additionally, they dealt with a power failure near Citation Oil, which caused a large glass flare to burn off excess oil field gas, initially reported as a fire or explosion.
Multiple Reports of Downed Trees and Power Lines
The Salem Police Department received numerous reports of downed tree limbs throughout the area. Marion County Sheriff Kevin Cripps reported that Tonti Road, east of Route 37, is closed until further notice due to a large tree blocking the roadway entirely. A fallen tree also brought down power lines in the sheriff’s department parking lot, leading to a power outage. The department is currently operating on emergency power.
Damage was also reported at the fairgrounds, where some tents were affected. Additionally, downed power lines were reported in the 100 block of DeWitt Street in Odin.
Significant Power Outages
Patoka Fire Chief Blake Hyde reported that a large power line from a 60- to 80-foot tower had fallen across Kinoka Road between Farthing and Seven Hills, necessitating a detour.
As of 11 p.m., Ameren Illinois reported 1,574 customers in Salem without power and 536 in the Odin area. An additional 55 customers were without power in the Vernon area.
Tri-County Electric reported 468 customers without power in Marion County and 70 in Jefferson County. This includes 191 customers in Foster Township, 94 in Kinmundy Township, 56 in Patoka Township, and 54 in Salem Township.
The emergency services continue to work diligently to address the numerous incidents and restore normalcy to the affected areas.
