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ROCKETS TAKE AIM Roast that AT SIMILAR PATH chicken ASAP! FOOTBALL, B1
FOOD, A9-10
dailyGAZETTE Wednesday, June 24, 2015
SERVING ROCK FALLS, STERLING AND THE SURROUNDING AREA SINCE 1854
SAUK VALLEY | TORNADO UPDATE
TWIST ABOUT THE TWISTERS It turns out, 4 cyclones hit area, in total BY BRENDEN WEST bwest@saukvalley.com 800-798-4085, ext. 5529 @BWest_SVM
STERLING – In addition to two Lee County tornadoes – one in Sublette, and one in Harmon – Monday’s storm also produced two separate tornadoes that touched down in Whiteside County, according to the National Weather Service. The Whiteside County twisters – which both originated within 3.5 miles of Rock Falls – were not originally categorized as such, but were determined to be tornadoes after NWS surveyors assessed the damage. Neither resulted in injuries. The NWS uses the Enhanced Fujita scale to indicate a tornado’s severity. Whiteside County’s twin twisters were given an EF-1 “weak” designation, second-lowest on a 6-point scale. The first originated at 7:14 p.m. 1 mile northeast of Rock Falls. It had a 100-mph peak wind and traveled 2.19 miles southeast. It was 75 yards wide, according to the NWS, and lasted 4 minutes. TWISTERS CONTINUED ON A2
Michael Krabbenhoeft/mkrabbenhoeft@saukvalley.com
An RV in section 9 of Woodhaven Lakes near Sublette sits dissected under a fallen tree Tuesday after storms ravaged the campground resort Monday night. A tornado also hit in Harmon in Lee County, and two touched the ground in Whiteside County, according to National Weather Service.
Hundreds of homes damaged Only one hospital transport after Woodland Lake storm BY CHRISTI WARREN cwarren@saukvalley.com 800-798-4085, ext. 5521 @SeaWarren
Photo submitted by Mike Dowell, M&M Aviation
More inside Sterling official optimistic mall stores other than storm-ravaged Dunham’s (above) will reopen, A3 Roundup of outlying Sauk Valley communities, A4 Rock Falls OKs emergency repairs, A5 See aerial shots of damage in Sublette, A7 But wait, there’s more: Today’s forecast calls for more storms – and potentially nasty ones, too, A7 Best of posts to facebook.com/saukvalley, A11 Red Cross offers respite, tips, A12
SUBLETTE – Hundreds of homes in Woodhaven Lakes, a private campground north of Sublette, are gone, destroyed Monday night when an EF-2 tornado ripped through parts of Lee County, officials say. The campground has 6,144 lots, and about 300 properties were occupied when the tornado touched down. No one has been reported missing or dead, and only one person was taken to the hospital with minor injuries, authorities say. As search efforts unfolded
through Monday night and early Tuesday morning – a search to ensure that no campers were unaccounted for – two people were found trapped inside a trailer, but neither was injured, and both were removed without incident. Officials don’t know exactly how many people were on the grounds when the tornado struck just after 8 p.m. Monday, nor do they know the exact number of homes damaged, but Sublette Assistant Fire Chief Kevin Schultz said Michael Krabbenhoeft/mkrabbenhoeft@saukvalley.com Tuesday afternoon that he esti- A flipped trailer rests at Woodhaven Lakes mates about one-third of the on Tuesday near Sublette. Despite hunproperties sustained damage. dreds of homes being damaged by an EF-2 tornado Monday night, no one has been HOMES CONTINUED ON A7 reported missing or dead.
STERLING | SEVERE WEATHER UPDATE
City worried about lagoon overflow Urges residents to practice water conservation measures BY PAM EGGEMEIER peggemeier@saukvalley.com 800-798-4085, ext. 5570 @pam_eggemeier
STERLING – The city is closely monitoring its wastewater treatment plant after heavy rains greatly increased the flow to the plant. Officials Tuesday morning asked everyone hooked up to the city’s sanitary sewer system to conserve water until the flow to the plant decreases. City Manager Scott Shumard said
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the last 8 days of rainfall have overwhelmed the system. Normal daily flow of water to the plant is 2.5 million gallons, and by June 15, it had jumped to 16.7 million gallons. That number peaked to 19 million gallons after Monday’s downpour, threatening to flood the plant. Shumard said the biggest concern now is the possibility of the lagoon spilling over. “The basement has been dammed off to help prevent flooding at the wastewater plant, but the lagoon is our big-
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ABBY ................... A8 BUSINESS ......... A12 COMICS ...............B6
gest worry right now,” Shumard said. The lagoon’s low point last week was 5.5 feet on June 15, and Tuesday morning it was at 8.7 feet and rising. If the lagoon were to spill over, the city could be in a situation in which shutting off the water supply would be necessary. Lagoon flooding could also bring fines. The Illinois Environmental Protection Agency said there are no automatic fines for lagoon overflow. LAGOON CONTINUED ON A4
CROSSWORD....B12 LIFESTYLE ........... A8 LOTTERY ............. A2
Philip Marruffo/pmarruffo@saukvalley.com
Dave Brown works to clear a large pine tree off the vehicle of an Arthur’s Deli employee Tuesday in the Sterling restaurant’s parking lot. Monday’s storm (and today’s forecast) has officials concerned over flow to the city’s wastewater treatment plant.
OBITUARIES ........ A4 OPINION .............. A6 POLICE ................ A2
Today’s weather High 80. Low 67. More on A3.
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