Stephenson County officials are praising the efforts of first responders, school leaders and volunteers for their response to the April 17 tornado that ripped through Lena.
During an April 20 news conference, those managing cleanup and recovery credited students, teachers and staff for their roles in making sure no one got hurt. The Lena tornado, which was later classified as an EF2, caused signficant and widespread property damage, but no injuries.
The tornado, which downed power lines and trees across the area, ripped holes in the high school roof over the office and damaged walls of the high school and elementary school gyms and damaged an area near a stage and a wall near the superintendent’s office.
“We had a portion of a wall that blew out, and I was actually getting wet and I was there with fourth graders,” said Tom Chiles, superintendent of the Lena-Winslow School District. “And you know, you talk about behaving perfectly, handling it, not losing their minds or anything, and our teachers did a great job of helping that. But it was truly remarkable how the kids got through that.”
The National Weather Service has confirmed six tornadoes traveled through northern Illinois on April 17 — the Lena tornado, an EF1 tornado that caused damage in Roscoe, another EF1 that tracked near Harrison, an EFU that touched down north of Pecatonica, EF1 in Jo Daviess County east of Galena and another EF1 in Bureau County near Mendota.
The Roscoe tornado reached speeds of 95 mph and traveled 11.2 miles from the intersection of Freeport and Bates Road to the Winnebago-Boone county line. The tornado damaged homes, toppled trees, knocked down fences and sent debris flying through the village
‘I can’t be prouder of our folks’
Despite having more than a thousand people on hand during the tornado with extra students from other school districts there for a music competition, students, teachers and staff quickly and calmly moved to safe areas of the buildings, Chiles said.
Other than an asthma attack, no one was reported injured despite the damage the tornado caused.
“I can’t be prouder of our folks, students, staff, and everybody, along with the community,” Chiles said. “Tragic situation, right? A lot of destruction, which is hard to see. But in the end, we can fix that stuff. And the most precious parts of the deal — lives and the well-being of everybody — are intact.”
It is not known when school will resume as damage is assessed and repaired. An architect found that the schools remain structurally sound despite the damage.
Chiles said they will work to get back to normal as quickly as possible. He said many students and families have been helping with cleanup efforts at the schools.
After experiencing that kind of trauma, there may be some children and adults who have trepidation about going back to school. Counselors will be made available to help them, he said.
Safety hazards blocked
Stephenson County Sheriff Steve Stovall said that with power lines and trees down, Lena Police Department officers, sheriff’s deputies, Illinois State Police troopers and first responders from nearby agencies pitched in to block hazardous streets and shut the town down to onlookers who might interfere with emergency response.
In the aftermath of the storm near school dismissal time, it was decided that school buses could not safely navigate the hazards. Parents were asked to pick up their children from school as the safest option.
Stovall said false rumors of fatalities that spread on social media had to be quashed as soon as possible to prevent panic.
“I don’t know why people want to start that stuff,” Stovall said. “If it doesn’t come from the sheriff’s department, the fire department, the police department, it’s not true. We’ll let you know exactly what’s going on.”
Cleanup efforts are underway. American Red Cross volunteers are distributing emergency supplies. Donations of food, cleaning supplies and clothes also are being distributed. Hundreds of volunteers are helping with recovery.
Jeff Kolkey writes about government, economic development and other issues for the Rockford Register Star. He can be reached via email at jkolkey@rrstar.com and on X @jeffkolkey.
This article originally appeared on Rockford Register Star: Lena officials praise response, weather service reports more tornadoes
Reporting by Jeff Kolkey, Rockford Register Star / Rockford Register Star
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