By Sarah Gray/Managing Editor
Sheets of metal and debris are scattered across acres of farmland outside of Pilot Grove and several roofs and outbuildings destroyed near rural homes after a confirmed EF-2 tornado hit the Cooper County town Wednesday morning, April 2.
But Thursday, there was a noticeable energy as utility crews worked up and down state Highway 135, and residents were out in their yards continuing to clean up.
Cooper County Emergency Management Agency Director Larry Oerly stated there may be a need for volunteers, but they are not at a point this early on to determine how many will be needed and where.
“We’re still doing damage assessment,” he said Thursday morning, outside of the Pilot Grove City Hall building.
He noted farmers may appreciate any help, but that would need to be coordinated with them personally.
The storm produced winds peaking 115 mph, which categorized it as an EF-2. Meteorologists reported to KMMO that the tornado had a width of approximately 200 yards and traveled a 6.3-mile path.
Pilot Grove rests roughly 6 miles south of Interstate 70. A small outbuilding on the interstate’s south outer road was shredded. Very little damage was noticeable from the first one- or two-mile stretch of Highway 135, and then a very visible path of destroyed trees alongside a long gravel driveway. Rural property closer to town seemed the hardest hit.
The Emergency Management Agency provided a digital footprint of the tornado’s path, much of it appearing to have gone through agricultural areas and properties that flank a portion of 135. The Katy Manor nursing home in town was damaged. Oerly stated Thursday it appears to be roof damage at this point.
One thing the agency is currently addressing is the replacement of the outdoor warning siren in town. Oerly stated it failed to operate the first time it was activated Wednesday during the storm, but did activate the second time they set it off.
“The siren is a Cold War-era siren,” he noted. “It was tested on Tuesday and functioned normally. We do not have an answer as to why it did not function the first time.”
Later that afternoon, they determined there was a power outage prior to activation. It is now scheduled to be replaced around the first of May, thanks to a grant acquired by the Emergency Management Agency.
The new siren will operate from battery power with an electric battery charger to keep the batteries fully charged, the agency stated. It is designed to operate during a power outage.
There were no fatalities as a result of the tornado, and no known reported injuries. Directly after the storm, the Missouri Department of Transportation had closed a portion of the highway due to storm damage, and Missouri State Highway Patrol noted that first responders were going door to door, checking on residents. The school district also reported that students and staff were safe and had returned to learning after the storm cleared.
Thursday, dozens of pick-ups could be seen packed into driveways in front of several homes while people began to clean up. They handed debris to one another over piles of material as machinery was working in the backdrop. In town, drivers pulled in and out of the gas station, businesses were open, and people out and about, assessing the damage and moving forward.
