Eldon picks up after tornado

Eldon’s residents were picking up the pieces of their lives Thursday morning.

Limbs and homes were ripped apart across the town and the National Weather Service’s St. Louis office said a tornado hit the town Wednesday night.

“You hear about destruction, but you don’t really realize it till it hits,” said Ronda Schell, who lives in the St. Louis area.

Schell drove for more than two hours to make sure her mother was okay after the storm.

“Seeing this devastation, I’m like ‘Oh my gosh, what is my mom’s house going to be like,” she said. “She obviously had some angels looking over her.”

Schell said though her mother’s house had damage, it was nothing like what other people had dealt with. One family’s house was completely destroyed.

The Miller County Ambulance District said the town has been without power since 11 p.m. Wednesday. But ambulances were able to operate as normal thanks to a background generator.

Residents and businesses are working to clean up the aftermath of the storm without electricity.

Beverly Davis was home when the bad weather hit. She decided to stay with her daughter in Columbia until crews restore power to her home.

“I’m going to have to have another hip surgery and I ain’t supposed to fall or something again and thinking what if I fall,” she said.

James Seaton lives in the same apartment complex as Davis. He was much less worried about the power being out.

Seaton had diabetes medication he keeps in the fridge. He said he is trying not to open his fridge as much as possible. He said he is not worried if the power does not come back on soon.

“I’ll take my bigger cooler, put ice in it, and go right back to staying there,” he said.

Seaton used a head lamp during and after the storm to find his way around. He plans on doing that until Ameren Missouri and other utility workers restore power, even if it is not until next week.

Jason Bishop owns Bishop’s Glass. He said business has ground to a halt without power.

“I’ve got a generator but obviously no phone lines so I can’t conduct any business right now. But people’s been calling and they’ve been patient,” he said.

He said business all around Eldon are not open because of the power.

Ameren Missouri was working Thursday to restore power to the central part of town. Crews from the infrastructure company working with Ameren said it will be days before everyone in Eldon has power.