Randolph County residents recover after EF-1 tornado destroys property

A Randolph County woman is out of the ICU after her daughter found her under debris an EF-1 tornado caused Monday night.

Ainesly Hargis, the daughter, told ABC 17 News she just finished running when she heard loud winds that sounded like a freight train, and then saw debris flying in the shape of a funnel outside her window.

Hargis said she immediately saw her mother’s home gone and expected the worse. She said she found her mother lying underneath debris just outside of where the home used to be.

Hargis, her mother and sister have a tornado shelter on the property they share, but an outdoor siren or tornado warning never sounded.

Jim Charrier, the Randolph County Emergency Management Director, said there are two main reasons why there were no sirens or warnings.

Charrier said one reason is because the National Weather Service radar never detected a tornado, or the possibility of a tornado.

He said the second reason is because a spotter, first responder, law enforcement nor multiple residents reported a sighting of a tornado.

While the mother recovers in the hospital, Hargis and her siblings try clean up what’s left of the home, but they have asked for some help.

Charrier said the damage only affected a few people so he doesn’t need to get the Missouri State Emergency Management Agency involved. He said for cleanup help he has contacted several local volunteer organizations who have helped with natural disaster cleanup before.

The Hargis family plans on having a large cleanup day Saturday.

ABC 17 News also went to another property that was hit by the tornado and saw hired cleanup crews starting their cleanup process.