Photos, eyewitnesses, detail storm damage across Henry County

NEW LONDON — Henry County residents hunkered down Tuesday afternoon as severe storms and a tornado ripped through Southeast Iowa.

Just before 4:30 p.m. Tuesday afternoon, the Mt. Pleasant Fire Department reported a tornado had touched down southeast of Mt. Pleasant. The system then headed east along Highway 34 causing damage to the west sides of New London and Salem, before its path of destruction moved into Des Moines County, then Louisa.

Experts would later classify the tornado as an EF2, starting near Lee County’s town of Houghton and traveling a whopping 42 miles before lifting. Facebook page Muscatine Iowa Weather Stormteam said it was the longest tornado path seen in the region since April of 2014, and measured a maximum width of around 600 yards.

The storm left a mess of buildings, trees, occasional cars and even power lines in its wake. Wind speeds as high as 130 miles per hour knocked out power for many. While it caused extensive damage, there were no injuries reported as a result of the storm.

With a watchful eye on the weather, New London Community Child Care Center Director Michelle Wilka said the center was able to prepare the children in their care for the storm, and took cover without a hitch.

“We usually start doing our inclement weather drills once a week in about February,” Wilka said. “So that way when we do have to do a real one the kids know what they’re supposed to do and where they’re supposed to go.”

With most of the damage from the storm occurring northwest of the child care center, the event proved mostly uneventful for Wilka, her staff, the children, and parents. But just across the small town, last week’s storm was far more disruptive. The worst damage, according to some experts, happened on a farmstead north of New London.

“The roof was removed from a brick house, one of the exterior walls collapsed, and the garage was destroyed,” said a report from the National Weather Surface station in the Quad Cities, referencing the rural property in Henry County. “Numerous out buildings were also destroyed at nearby farmsteads.”

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Nearby, in the town of Salem, resident Ann Tallman says she had just finished cleaning a home for a family that returned from vacation only 15 minutes before the storms rolled in.

“I just got done cleaning the house and left to beat the storm when I saw some storm chasers and people taking videos at the end of the road,” Tallman recalled.

When Tallman realized what people were doing and saw a funnel cloud forming, she immediately called the family of the home, and instructed them to take cover.

After the storm passed through, she returned to find the third story completely missing, a large steel building obliterated, and holes exposing a second-story bedroom to the sky.

“I’m very close with her,” Tallman said. “I haven’t stopped crying.”

Students, volunteers step up to aid repairs, recovery efforts

As soon as the clouds began to clear, community members promptly set to work helping one another.

At New London’s Burge Cemetery, the storm damaged, moved or toppled around 350 headstones, destroyed trees and presumably removed a flagpole, which remains missing. An administrative office building at the cemetery was flattened as well, adding insult to injury for the location expected to receive visitors on Memorial Day in a few weeks.

The Friday morning after the storm, a group of students from Danville, Winfield and New London high schools were seen on the grounds, helping to clean up the area.

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New London’s building trades class had finished and dropped off a completed storage shed shortly before the storm, only to find out it had been destroyed by the elements. Teacher Matt May said classmates were on the site Wednesday to help pick up the pieces.

Similar student cleanup crews were fairly common around the impacted towns. Juniors and seniors at New London High School were even excused from classes on Wednesday, April 17, to participate in the efforts.

“It's truly heartbreaking to hear about the devastation caused by the tornado late this afternoon,” said a statement from NLCSD administrators. “Providing students with the opportunity to help with cleanup efforts not only supports the community but also instills a sense of empathy and responsibility in our students.”

Tallman’s husband and many community members quickly arrived to move out and store furniture and help the family navigate next steps. Those on the ground in New London saw similar responses, with neighbors offering labor and supplies wherever needed.

For more expensive repairs, fundraisers have already begun.

Elvina Hill organized one such GoFundMe on behalf of New London residents Dan and Julie Hill, hoping to repair their home of 30 years following the storm. Meachelle Kirchner put together a campaign for her father, and Hailey Peterson started one for her grandmother, Denyah Barry.

Others are in the early stages of organizing a Community Appreciation and Relief event, and are accepting donations via a GoFundMe organized by Katie Powers.

“Find us on Facebook and keep an eye out for the event in June that will be happening in New London to give back to all who were impacted by the storm, and say THANK YOU to everyone who has volunteered helping Clean up,” the GoFundMe page states.

More volunteerism is planned, if weather permits. Friday, April 26 is New London’s annual community day, where students help with myriad projects coordinated with the schools. Community members say they’ve got their fingers crossed, hoping freeze warnings and other severe weather forecasts for the day prove inaccurate.

While the storm and its damage were quite unwelcome, New London resident Gail Heater said she saw hope not only in the three different rainbows following the storm, but also the way the community came together.

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Seeing the same rainbows, Samantha Strothman commented that the community coming together like that is just the “great thing about small-town living.”

For those in New London dealing with tree limbs and branches, the city has said such debris left by the storm can be dropped off for disposal at the city lot south of the school’s football field on Adams Street.

For those throughout Henry County that experienced any kind of damage due to the storm, Emergency Management Coordinator Walt Jackson asks that they reach out to his office at (319) 385-1479 or wjackson@henrycountyiowa.us so he can add those homes to a list for the county.

Additionally, Gov. Kim Reynolds signed a disaster proclamation April 17 for Henry and other counties, activating the state’s Individual Grant Program and the Disaster Case Advocacy Program for residents there. The first makes available grant money for those needing help with home, car and temporary housing expenses due to severe storms, the latter mobilizes advocates to help property owners coordinate a recovery effort.

Kalen McCain also contributed to this report.

Comments: AnnaMarie.Ward@southeastiowaunion.com