Rebuilding After a Tornado

                                    
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Transcript for file: focus131120a.mp3

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Bitoni

the tornado that hit the Champaign County town of Guilford last Sunday tour of the back

Mary Sutherlands house Mary says to work to clear debris from a property is on

is already on your way with a lot of help from the community I’m looking right now

into my backyard and I see my son in law

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best friend additional 1015 people and I do not know any of them

Meadows end today on focus will discuss rebuilding after a tornado

tornado on talk with Mary Southerland and also with ricotta berry champain County

Emergency Management Agency and the man who was mayor of Ogden tornado

tornado tour through that town in 1996

focus continues after the news

welcome to focus on Jim Meadows if your neighborhood suffered damage in last Sunday

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Sundays outbreak of tornadoes which lacrosse six states you don’t need the media

how to tell you what it was like but for most of us the news media is our window

to the terrible damage suffered in towns like if ur did Washington Illinois

Kokomo Indiana that window will stick around for a few days

maybe even weeks but in time the news coverage will the Minish long before the cleanup Andriod

rebuilding is completed today in focus going to try to take a look at the work

work going on now in the work that will be going on in the weeks in months

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what’s an even years to come in areas hit by tornadoes in will start

by saying hello to someone whose home suffered a directed last Sunday

Mary Southerland lives with her husband Gifford with a operating ice cream shop Merrick good

good morning in welcome to focus a good morning thank you for having me what glad to have

the heavy what does Mary II understand that you and your husband lost your house in Gifford

to the tornado we certainly did I am so sorry to hear that

but I understand that you and your your your your staying put your determine the rebuilding

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Golden State in Gifford OF solutely weed we don’t want to live in the world

now I could see that some people mean when theres someone their face with a situation like

like this just might find it easier to pull up steaks and find another place to live as soon as they can

is the Canon adjust a there but why have you and your husband decided to stay in

day Inn Beaufort and rebuild I think there’s something about roots

and I was born in Gifford um and I just

just feel that a lot of my friends are there my family is there um we have a

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I have a business there and that’s where we want to be okay American Utah

can you tell me about your experience when the tornado struck mean to start with

where were you at that moment what does that moment we had

already gotten down into the basement I have been in the kitchen with corset

watching the news in watching the skies and I have noticed that the sky

Skyrim just seem different than anything I really ever seen before and I told

I told my grandson and my husband I think we need to go to the basement flashlights

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lights went down to the basement um within seconds really the alarm

alarm went off the siren what was different about that is that it was a short

short fire in a normally when you hear those things that just are continual well

we have one window in that area what to look out the window when the fire in Stockton

I have to walk from my house and I said I think we need

need to go to the back with no windows at all and within 15

can second we were in that room which is just a few steps away

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and couldn’t get the door shut we knew that like that that moment we been hit

how we were in the room  and I

probably less than a minute I’m thinking about how long it took

took to know um for to stop going on

and we came out of the room lookout farm

Foundation have crack in the basement and newest at times that it was bad

was was was there noise at the store made as it passes through a yes

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when you hear that it was a train like a train Hedlund track

that’s exactly what it was it was just a tree

cha cha cha like it with swirling of course

the damage you can just here to breathe in and things getting the house

wow now you said you had gotten a lot of advance were the weather forecast size

super full of this information yes we we knew we would

was walking the the television we had um of course in on the Internet

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things were tracking itsy where was when I was coming of course

we didn’t know that it was going to be as bad as it was just knew that it was a storm and Beyond

the only way that I knew that was different style was so different than anything I’ve ever seen

okay now are the sign mean when you said that it is that it

did the influenza in Minnesota for short pattern without a pattern was the same

cut off by the storm somehow it was cut off by the storm it wasn’t even

pattern normally as you know when you hear the sirens and its side to Siri

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series of Wong blast and this was

Abe laugh lasted a couple of seconds and then it was

then we started hearing a glass blue in from the one window in the area that we were

we were the basement and umm the Blasted stop the dots

stop okay now I understand the the the tornado

Scentsy tour of the back of the house yes and in distance

disrupted I push the rest of it officer found a shin we’re on our family

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Foundation but it’s completely destroyed we had your orders

Hooters that came right to the brick foundation a while so where are you living now

right now will sing with some very very good friends that allow us to

share their home and drive us back and forth and do things we need to do as well as

the cleanup of our home okay are you able to retrieve a things from the house

house we were so very lucky very blessed that are basement

we had a number things stored tubs of pictures

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things for my past that cannot be replaced and we have all of those things ok

can niacin you also operate an ice cream shop in Gifford we do it self

silent scream gallery is your husband a money

his name is it ok if he’s the Linney how to how did the distance

Christmas Fair in the storm surprisingly well we are actually just

just getting in there today I be the front on a blue waffle

we had a back garden with them seating for for customers and that was completely

00:07:30

destroyed but as far as we can tell the shop itself is intact

okay now you hope to reopen the shop

fairly quickly what do you think realistic there I got power and Gifford today is

understand I haven’t been there yet but I understand that in the downtown

downtown business district were Shoppe hasn’t my husband is actually there right now

odd and so we are hoping next week ok

in the meantime you’ve got a lot of work ahead of you to rebuild an essay

00:08:05

not just the labor of rebuilding but there’s always paperwork and things like that are you able to get

how to get the information help you need to get that process started

I can’t tell you enough about how wonderful are insurance company has

send insurance generally gets a bad rap that are Company Hartford

bird was there yesterday our first time with a permit or just ur ass

and that young man has just guided Us

Houston everything that we need to do when is very protective of us is someone came up to

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map to us um asking some questions and he took me aside

why didn’t he said I just don’t want you to be taken advantage of and

do you take your everything for that’s good to hear

now I just really one more question I know if you were struck send your neighbors restaurant

truckers well have you been in touch with with the other neighbors who who lost homes in

what’s House everybody feeling out there

Gifford is just a wonderful place to live with a small village

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village of about 950 people and you can rest assured that you

what your neighbors have your back are are good neighbors across the street from us

their home is completely destroyed and Mr Hyde burger

is in the hospital he’s not doing well he’s um in bed

stages of cancer this is hamburger with their biker self and um

has taken a turn for the worse we don’t know any updates as of today but we

we are going over there today to start getting their place cleaned out for them

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haven’t had a lot of help you can imagine

the kids want to be with her parents in this time of need and so we will be taken care of that

and we see that everyone we go well you’re dead you’re taking your B

you’re being generous enough to lend a hand for the for for that families

is is certainly worth worth commanding especially considering it all the challenges you have

do you have a head yeah its its not short of flood

what anybody has done we have had people in are in our house in our yard

00:10:25

Yard I do not even know and those people just a few

just work themselves and are so gracious OK

Mary Southerland thank you so much for taking the time to talk about what you’ve been through I don’t know

Thanksgiving is next week do you know how you’re going to be celebrated

we’re going to be with our daughter and son-in-law in our grandchildren

children and they live in ranch ok American hope you can rebuild quickly

McLean get your business back up and running soon as well thank you very much

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for the time and I just can’t say enough about how

wonderful our community is and the outside community as well that’s come in and

donated money and clothes and food has been there for the people

Gifford America Inc you again for talking with a 01 focus

thank you so much you have a wonderful day thank you and this is focus in WY

while im Jim meadows and we are looking at the aftermath of Sandy

Sundays tornado focusing right now on a gift for the small town in

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northeast Champaign County that was hard hit by a tornado

on Sunday now I’m talking on the phone I believe he’s with me a break at a berry

Richard Berry is up with the Champaign County Emergency Emergency Management Agency

and I Ricky understand you’re out in Gifford right now

right on the edge downtown the woodchuck is the southern

most the damage is the community center stage movie theater today

what is a busy day today ok

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what does Gifford look like right now I just give us a picture because as you say

who said there’s there’s an edge to wear the damage was how much is the town was hit and how much is still intact

contact I fink it’s probably 40 to 50 percent of the town

cat some damage official count from Gifford of the towns are the farms

farms around is 250% buildings damaged

the 60 totally destroyed right across the street from where I am now

which is basically the Bell Center in town the water towers right here is a

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Apollo trouble that was a building there are some houses so just be on that

that the car to leak on a house set custom I left the witch

set alarm time resident open house today about 80 heat

he remembered the woman who live there when he was a child that hits in a sample

what’s a good it is really a touch of a status like to see is you looking for

Prosser out power lines up in connected how about other infrastructure in the Gifford

coming along power is restored to to smoke

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small corner of the town yesterday afternoon at the Biltmore of the not affected cell

southern part of town overnight last night at the cruise take a break their back

back full steam ahead now I can see them streamline

all three actually go up to a three main east north south

South Street Eatontown there working hard on right now streamlines a

take the power back to its many of the people in houses that are compatible

as a prophet as possible people are are caucus up of

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the fact that the weather is going to turn out of here goes like this afternoon

Tervis radar Megabus colder this weekend try to get as much power restore

restore possible gas will be a somewhat slower process

process because they have to make sure that the gas lines in each one of these badly damaged

how to destroy homes is capital for the undersized at system water

water good comeback on Lake Esther day afternoon with chef

I got the God said that a miracle because they were looking at least a week

00:14:30

what was thinking without bypass

water plant was badly damaged by passes Giffords on water plant was

difference on water plant corrective is there not the interconnected with anyone else out of a pipe

bypass the filter system so well the people do not have water first

first education needs for clothes washing showers all of that up it’s now

what’s not drinkable to boil water will continue probably for quite some time

plenty of bottled water around stage 2 round town for people for granted this is OK

00:15:05

JSO in the meantime along with attempted is the restore utility

utilities in that soften for structure salon cleanup going on at this point

incredible about today there are cruser from Champaign

Department of Transportation townships around here that take insurance

turn on rotating there are dates for the Illinois Department of Corrections

working alongside the structure of the old apartment transportation to load the Berean

does a good free removal is going to be able to massive

00:15:40

massive massive project as you might expect stand up

not always feels like suck all types of the breeze

people who are cleaning up their own property can bring to the free roadside

hide the pain after separated into first trees live

construction materials van a bathroom

bathroom fixtures they want the ceramics separated or state requirements

this is not something to look like a white girl switch show the rest of us know it

00:16:15

major appliances washers dryers refrigerators freezers at the different file

tires are Pyle batteries or tile a pilot might expect the hazardous material

Orioles which include cleaning solvents up the that sort of thing

things that are also suffer pilot truck driving by to pick ups

ups Pacific to items and taking them to the appropriate landfill support

Chipotle about good free removal set up

they really don’t want anybody to set a fire

00:16:50

where is so much to breathe I sexually with the end of the fire kings very quickly

still that issue with the gas light operative

I’m thinking of electronic appliances things like TVs and computers with recently I guess

I guess in the last couple years were banned from Illinois landfills are they there own separate

pilot I go with white goods what happens to the next one point in the NFL

that’s not covered in the material that the the receipt to separate

rate my iphone what the recent change a law that

00:17:25

there’s probably one more Pilot people up to me

how to make that is for electronics microwaves television sales other things like that

what the meantime people you’re asking people to be responsible for clearing their young

yards in getting the stuff out on the edge how much longer do you expect

Spectre Cruz will be available to the whole things away like this

what two prong setting as the insurance adjusters coming on and work with the homeowners

once insurance adjusters total homeowners go ahead and hire a contractor chick

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Oakley mess up at that point for the contractor shows up the contractor Israel

responsible for making sure that the debris get to the right kind of landfill

the restrictions I was talking about a sleeper people who work cleaning up their own property

property right now they bring it out to the side there will be Cruise

mystery out of here as long as it takes with within reason but that this is not

this is not something is going to end today or tomorrow date of the city

overtime rap down but the Bears are

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Dave’s off of working out of people ok

the contractor will know where the say the hazardous waste should be taken 2

yes yes what were talking with ricotta Birmingham Champaign County

mercy emergency management agency Hiiraan Focus C is in Gifford

if you have any questions for a front for wreck about about handling all the cleanup

after after Sundays tornado give us a call at 1 800 222

229 455 that’s 1 800 222 wyll you

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email us at will dash talk at Illinois dot

edu and you can contact doesn’t Twitter or Facebook and focus

focus 580 how would working

work is your agency the Emergency Management Agency responsible for in Gifford

what are other agencies doing weather pump your private teacher at this point

point of what the Emergency Management Agency is responsible for

Sheriff’s Office working together because they’re both of us about government is off

00:19:45

managing the resources of the response part

part of this is pretty much over that was Sunday

where is short term recovery out the resources

like for a week Sunday night that I have the became apparent

parents of the solar system could be operable didn’t have any power and there are several lift

lift stations in town to remove the sewage out the plant which is up

how to stop a toddler scientist at it up

00:20:20

generators and brother man in the suit system is up and running is a major

help for the nursing home in town because otherwise they would have had

what is have to meet other arrangements of four of the people who are staying there

Sol to stay open what’s the score system

the nose with we don’t have a giant warehouse full

full of stuff would you happen to have several generators but what we do have

is Lido where to get stuff whether it’s federal resources state resources

00:20:55

private sector and the that’s kind of thing we also bring out

Instagram post so that early in the story the

unified command to be set up so the representatives of all the responding agencies are there

other agencies well why only going on here but

what does the service recognition from the Public Health District

public health is Champaign Urbana Champaign Urbana Public Health District

what you doing how long with presence of medical

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today is the setting up an area where there going to be giving people the shots

because it’s really easy to cut yourself for step on a nail Greenfield

so there going to be doing that was a little ridiculous morning

warriors of shift change up there people working generally 12

12 hour shifts the responders at the 7 o’clock and off for people

people the overnight shift this is what type of the morning show up

up the fire department deferred up there being a sister

00:22:05

how to relieve the largest stepbrother area fire departments because many of the

Department Catherine damage to deal with

what do a lot of Oceania late on Sunday as last night

rehab Fire Department the representatives and equipment hear from Sister Park

from Chebanse up that way Asheville up north of here and Florida

all together beta care of the Gifford

overnight last night today I know there’s a mortgage in salt water coming out

00:22:40

Bloomington yesterday’s others Sullivan was here with a recluse

fire engines so other areas apartments are taking care of any response

ups calls out of the fire department so the different firefighters can’t deal with things at home

call Pat and it is that kind of cooperation Mary talk about the weather

papers are helping neighbors it is amazing things to watch that good spirits everybody was in

word life by the community meeting it was really nothing short of inspiring

pairing the way that before responding to this so far this

00:23:15

this is the day of the week Sterling abouts is going to be stress

but for the moment people are really stepping up there’s a sign of the outsiders

the city that says Gifford welcome to Gifford America’s home

does home without end up I was thinking about that this morning at the

you know I was thinking while you’re doing all this working

can Gifford in a certain need all this help um you’re with the emergency

Emergency Management Agency for all of Champaign County and there is damage elsewhere in the county

00:23:50

do you have to look after absolutely were a pressure plate

because that is so scattered is there’s not a widespread were making sure that

all of that gets catalog all those damage assessment

because that in the long run will make a big difference

disaster declaration that could bring federal aid to pair of the recovery period

period Champaign County so that’s all being assessed there will be female

suspect James and to do with a secondary assessments your short like um

00:24:25

but yes I had that goes I hate this was happening today 2

a church companies arranged for towing companies

companies to come in and out there’s another number of damage to vehicle

Michaels you’re up there being hold out today to pick up a hazard with the gas

gas tank for the batteries the fluid inside so that he can imagine the different kinds of

kinds of things that have to be cleaned up if its mass Wow Center in under

show in a lot of things to pay attention to know Champaign County is officially a state

00:25:00

disaster area not yet Federal  that’s correct the governor

Florida State a disaster of believers a surly a Sunday night

because that they release 13 Callies the states have some kind of damage from this

what will happen dollars that reports from all those the damages

13001 way or another would be compile dance

submitted to feel about for a patient of a

federal of presidential debate presidential way to clear a disaster

00:25:35

free up some other federal resources to come you should mention in the meantime that the governor

available just Child three and a half million dollars yesterday

for people who are uninsured and the have lost so that they

bacon start the process of getting back on their feet of the Red Cross I have that paper

paperwork your half a cup of Health Nursing Home 136

Gifford by help people get started with the paperwork to participate in that

that up there is a formula based on the population of a state

00:26:10

that determines if your lashes without warrant the federal intervention weather they can be handled

the state level up there’s already a feather is

presents to speak up other has been over in Washington

55 LAKE AVE that we’re going to be pet wrestle this time for your back

back of the tornado hit Hillsboro did not hit that the one of the things I have

what happens because of the population of Chicago to suburbs it’s a very high threshold

salt for Illinois but that I think with the Washington hand gif

00:26:45

Gifford and everything else in between that there’s a chance that it will rain

will rise to the federal standard this time okay and I’m on one

I’m wondering for people who are you who who are interested in helping out

is there a place to go for basic information I am looking at your agency’s Facebook

facebook page now and its talking about the establishment by the United

United Way of a gift for a really fun yes

where is the area really 5’2 the United Way

00:27:20

stablish that some banks that Gifford State Bank of people killed on altamesa

donations directly of a lady I have an affinity for the Salvation Army on the Red Cross

cross of Financial locations are by far preferable to materials

donations it’s just very difficult to manage material at this time effect

perfect other with relocations in town where people were dropping off clothing is it just had to

just had the same no more if there are churches in organizations around the area

what are collecting goods thats 5 a.m.

00:27:55

appreciate those thoughts but those organizations need to be prepared to hold on

does goods for a while so we can get that states the recovery wear a dispenser

dispensation of those that take place financials

donations in after the United Way Regency Houston

I can get that money in the hands of the people who beat it that much more quickly

outbreak I’m going to take a call now from someone who who knows the story of the soda recovery

covery from later down the road and im im the dump

00:28:30

believe I’m talking to a jacket Jack Ryder

that’s right you’re the mayor in Ogden yeah I’m American and the

I been through to the Tornados one has a president won also very much

how much is the mayor of Trustees what I’ve been listening to

it’s all pretty much down there of the lady who called

resiliency a small town that is there

after the same thing I just like to express our residents and the

00:29:05

off of Ogden Express R

are you now feeling for that we’ve gone for less that you will get through

get through it is well um I had the

I don’t want to say to place her but I work with Bill Keller and record sounds like

everything that you were doing we have done and it does take a walk

Michael Wilding rebuilding process will go through if you can

you can’t say enough about the volunteers um we got to a point

00:29:40

where we had to turn down people and I think that just shows

shows a lot of the house and I’m just

just to let the people get for than other areas now that you wear

they will bounce back straps are low in Peru and I just like that

like to thank you for doing that says as part of your agency

thank you I appreciate that I remember Ogden well that’s fine I was

still on the other side working at a local radio station in the a

00:30:15

where we were golfer that that and that you’re absolutely right of a the spirit of the Smokies

small communities and I grew up in Washington so I know what’s going on over there

right now and I hope to be over there later the week 550 have family members there

doing the same thing as hit 60 larger community b***

the roots of a community are very very deep fat people are going to be

helping each other cope with this why do I like to think Miramare Jack Ryder off

Ogden for calling in a little later on we’ll be talking to his predecessor in Ogden

00:30:50

who was there when a tornado hit the town badly in 1996

6 where can I bury thank you very much for talking with us sure thing ever end

and I understand you have a few more busy days ahead of you out there at least

least a couple at the at some point 380

over to the local officials will be standing behind on with the

help with paperwork that had all the recovery process: the next episode

the long term recovery process that will be engaged what’s a very much

00:31:25

very much Rick sure that you were going to take a short break for me come back will look at

How I didn fared when it was badly hit by a tornado about 18

18 years ago when we talk with the former mayor of Ogden

the man who was mayor when the storm hit this is focused on wyll

welcome back to focus on Jim Meadows we are looking

looking at recovery from a tornadoes like the recovery work going on

going on now as they clean up in rebuilding Gifford in NE champagne

00:32:00

Payne County Barroso looking back at an earlier tornado on recovery

Wikipedia its called the April 1996 tornado outbreak sequence

that was a series of tornado outbreaks occur to over three days in April of 99

1996 over a large area of eastern North America the first day

birthday April 19th what’s the most prolific outbreak of tornadoes ever seen in

Illinois recorded history 3320 toes and one of them in

NFL 32 and 80 Rudolph for 1 mile in with it hit decay

00:32:35

Decatur then it gets traveling distance to the eastern section of Urbana

mana and then farther east where is destroyed if I understand this right near me

nearly every home in a small town of Ogden Jim Gilliland was the mayor of Oz

the time in Ogden today is the temperature for from the tornado and I

Jim Killen welcome to focus and were trying to reach a gym killing his

is the of former mayor of Ogden we had him at just a moment ago

and we will try to I get him out back on the line as well he was the man

00:33:10

the mayor winner when I was struck by a pretty bad tornado

180 in April of 1996 I was not hear it

wyln 1996 with WWII newsroom was search

certainly here and we’re going to let’s just answer to 4 up up up

silver prelude before we get to a mystic Illinois play a news report that aired on

dare to wyll in April of 1996 this is Sarah day

day Reporting for our station win a governor Jim Edgar a visit

00:33:45

visited the officer did the tornado hit town of Ogden Ogden

how did yesterday buing excessive damage done by left Fridays tornado along the way you spoke

Residence Inn Jekyll North Street house for tamales

the rebel to save anything off I’m going through valuables of papers

papers clothing Auto Salvage most close up most of range

Hammacher  how that’s going to turn out yet

how to get some help for the federal disaster declaration make tornado victims

00:34:20

victims in champagne in Macon County eligible for grandmas to rebuild Edgar Ulta

all the present in American flag dedicated to New Franklin Ogden Mary Jim Gilliland

call the flag a sign of hope that’s what the flagpole is 40 show you that we can ride

out of the ashes more than 1000 homes and businesses in the two counties worden

damaged or destroyed by tornadoes I’m Saturday and that’s Report bias

everyday not have the most recent tornado damage deferred but of tornado damage 18

18 years ago in 1996 in Ogden and you heard the voice of then I may roam

00:34:55

did Jim Gilliland and we have here on the phone today match together 1 welcome to focus

focus thank you for having me I don’t know we were able to hear that news reporting hear your voice

18 years back what’s the memories that brought back to you

April 19 1996 you’re the mayor of Ogden where were you when the storm

tornado hit we were leaving out we were at home and I was out on the porch watching this

the star role in a man you could see the darkness in the background as we had like me

lightning flash in the sky and the wind was blowing and then all the

00:35:30

setting the wind just stop and everything got dead quiet and

and that we decide it was time to get in and get into the bathtub and that’s what we did

did you get here Dupre hitting a sidebar house you got in the bathtub for protection

Texans vs correctly got in there with my wife in our new puppy and I am becoming a shelf

Self Help and I just prayed that we write a route ok and the storm

storm does the storm come to your house or near it what how close is yet

get well we’re on the north west corner of town and we what kind of on the air

00:36:05

the edge of it so we were very fortunate and blessed we didn’t have hardly any damage?

you are home so what which was really important later on is we work in recovery

Avery and the dentist on with more South office going into correction write to text

Middletown was was was there much of a warning I mean first of all

what you had have you had any warnings about the weather this might produce tornadoes

yes we been watching following the television broadcasting the weather reports at most

that evening so we knew something was coming in and it we didn’t know severity that was going

00:36:40

is going to end up being but I guess we were where there was coming and we had to start

storm spiders while watching on the edge of town which was part about protection

did the siren go off and on well have that time we had a siren that had to be manually turn

turned on and unfortunately by the time the gym got to do that the storm hit

and uh the siren in the building at the sirens on top of came tumbling down

downforce me he was not hurt but that we did not have a siren warning at that time

what time Saints and the village  trustees in

00:37:15

Ethan and Mary have put we’ve got to do sirens up now so in a automatic set of

from the county I believe so we have much better warning system today yeah I don’t know

I guess so I don’t know how brother warning was last Sunday if the sirens went off in Ogden

this past weekend because of the storm I don’t know I don’t remember hearing and we were

we were I don’t know I don’t believe they didn’t

so you were hiding out how long did it take for them for you

for you to feel that everything is clear that you could come out Whale once once the sound of a freight train

00:37:50

train left and you can you use to breed the side the house that was kind of

the worth of past so that’s what we got out and went outside on the front porch

round is from iphone4 to the neighbourhood we could see

what did you see where we

add windows be traffic cameras in bowling over on the side and the trees were

is were were

that was struck me really that time to fish that the trees with stripped bare NE

00:38:25

foliage miss Illinois getting a little bit of break up I don’t know what your phone situation is

when is it okay that I don’t know if you have a quart or a lack of accord with maybe inhibiting the single life

think things are okay over here but of course we have a lot of wires we never know right

right right can you hear me better now yeah you some good now if you can go over again

whats the song where he was just fact that the trees a stripper

strip beer with what distance to peer to peer to be much damage

damage on what I can see from my for my porch but then someone come by and said

00:39:00

said that you better start heading downtown and what is UC downtown Wells I walk downtown

downtown you can begin to smell gas from date for the home to have been damaged and the gas meters have been

broken off until you can you had that stench in the air of debris in the

the trees of car is turned over just it

it was the really something that you just almost can’t put into words

disturbed the devastation that that was there just seem like such a short period of time

time of death of Thomas actually going on in Damascus destruction etiquette do

00:39:35

what talking with Jim Killen is the former mayor of Odin he was the mayor

is the mayor of Odin in April of 1996 town was it badly by a tornado

going back on his experiences and memories from then if you have some questions are

maybe some of your own experiences with severe storms to talk about give us a college

is 1 800 222 9455 that phone number again is 18

1 800 222 wyll email addresses will

dash talk at illinois.edu you can contact us a Twitter or Facebook

00:40:10

Facebook and focus 580 I can’t imagine being in that situation

situation you’re the mayor of Odin looking at this devastation what do you do first what

what did I mean was was helped already arriving what did you do where you can hear it once

1120 what time I got downtown you can hear the sirens of the Veil merch

equipment coming your way of what it was just a

silver whelming  that you

that you did I just didn’t know what to do I just look at me directions to look thinner with destruction and I thought

00:40:45

what am I going to do this  this is beyond me and Dad

but then once they help got here and especially Iyanla

the state that they did that with this before in and they just jumped right in and kind of game

give me directions to decisions were left up to me and borders far is what we actually would do but they had grey

great advice and I kind of plate on out on there a pass back

background Direction on Ellen When I should do for lap going forward what were the

what was the first things I’ve got done well first thing we did Volunteer Fire Dept

00:41:20

fire departments are going house to house and to try to make a AI headcount

the community in and people win it and see if anyone with hurt and if it was made

which medical attention needed a and end once said that was shot

well that was on going in one state police got here we were we were told that we should shut down

downtown just keep because of the debris always town leaking gas down wires

wires that we should shut down the town that allow anyone in time to try to get

how to get a handle on on what’s going on in what direction we should go now

00:41:55

did you have a lot of community corporation courses small town a lot of people know each other right

but when you’re securing the town you’re a barricade in a centrally was there anybody in happy about

happy about those prescriptions so I think there was and found out later a few

few days later cause we Capetown lockdown for couple days because we didn’t want sightseers for one thing

because we still have to breed to get a birth secret to start cleaning up as quickly as we could

could a so I think they were few people who who felt it maybe we were little too

strict but if you got a lot of emotions running very high the situation

00:42:30

like this and you have to take that in consideration people have lost a lot going through a lot

lot and their confused just like myself and so but for the most part the community

tipo de gather and and and work we all work together and and that’s great things

small community in a rural setting that the people you may not see him on a date

did the bases when something happens in a tragedy your emergency they always step up and

Panda the do the neighborly thing of taking care of each other not right now

right now in Gifford there just there still clearing the debris field 4 days after

00:43:05

at at some point you get from clearing things quickly ring of the damage

to really rebuilding how did that work out in Ogden how long did it take for

for that rebuilding to get to get underway what sort of Hoops in paper

paperwork processes did you have to go through well I thought what we got

the bridge to Bri stacking it week at that time course back then

we just separated man we had to separate the park we have to have a line of metal

metal that reacts with separated in the rest of week we were allowed to dig a big firework fire pit

00:43:40

hit by pitch that’s right not right turn me with huge hole and we dumped all burnable

things in at in burned day n night for several weeks Wow

so we were allowed to do that the tour of the states DPA

and that’s all that that that the clearing way getting the Powerball

getting a power play fortunate to the water system was not damaged anyway we had a

we had a yet ABQ generator backup so the system captain of functioning

shooting of the sewer plant was not damaged anyway so we very fortunate in that way we just had to

00:44:15

set up a you get some power to the village office which was still

are there and the sum of the traders at that I am at Broughton in

power to them so much with us trailers that I was using for the road

Kourtney it was more of a command post type thing where are people to people

people who lost their homes could not stay in their homes in Ogden wear with a living doing well I think some

send someone staying with the friends and family out of town I like a sweet

sweet potato home because it would we didn’t have power for for many days but we can still we can still stay

00:44:50

staying home and I think some of that on the side of town was done but I think it was you

just a fact family and friends stepping up and they stay there then once we really

13 release the town the Traveling people that come and go and make it easier to get out and come back

come back Inn wish I could come in if they had to develop drivers license indicated they were residency

town did the did the village I did residence Guetta

get assistance the in rebuilding anything that came from the state or federal government

yeah I think of FEMA came in and it went off early we had we had a lot of donation

00:45:25

did that just like a lady that you have your there to do that

it did the people just stepped up people use a

don’t know im probably never will know stepped up to get financially and all

and also like if we had a lot of donations of clothing and we had that you had to close that down like a

MRI to say that you just got so many volunteer you just overwhelmed

almost more Volunteers new head actual residence at what times what seems like

no I’m wondering because it’s time goes on in the rebuilding process must have taken

00:46:00

what did it take months to detect years no it took it took several months in a year

yurizan in the landscape of the town changed because we were town of a lot of older homes

Home smaller homes on small piece of property to 140 some people decided not to

did not to rebuild in so other people build homes on double sided Lotso the landscape

the town changed and that that was that was that was a big difference

difference you notice when you walk around town after were several months afterwards or even years after words to landscape a chain

changes for the parents of the town but no its it’s going to take it going to take

00:46:35

take you for months to years 3102 years to XP

get to the town back to being rebuilt its it’s never going process

for such a period of time in the cleanup is what is what is ratio Massey

what this point now you talk about how people really better together at the ounce

outset but I could just imagine as time goes on there will be difficulties a disagreement Center

sunrise did did you find that happening in Ogden

individual just not not just a few who who might have not felt something with being done

00:47:10

inden the way they would like to have it done because like I said its just human nature you win

you went through experience in da you want to get back to normal life as quickly as you can

and so it become sometimes frustrations become very high and you have to deal with

deal with that in a stand with people coming from and to an invention

what you talk with them and you work through their problems that dinner come again and everything is

is back to back to the way it is to get the building the number 11

I want people to understand in Ogden that what we went through was terrible

00:47:45

terrible but you come out on your side much better is a community individuals and

and that’s why we agree to Tambor do we need flag as a symbol in I got

how to get electricity back to the best we can get that flag lips so it was visible night and day

and that was just something that was important to let people know that

gone witches Temperley temporarily disabled that’s a flagon where is where is

downtown at the Veterans Park and still still still there today

today that’s one of the first things that went up yes yes that was si we just fell today

00:48:20

at the community need some kind of sign rally point in hope that was

what’s a something that some people that was a good idea now

now you understand that you step down as mayor later in the year

yes that anything to do with all the difficulties for rebuilding I was at just know that wasn’t

is more of a personal physical somethings came out during storm because when it first started

I was up there at the village office for probably 45 days

days in a row and just sitting there with people coming in asking

00:48:55

giving directions to abort who went out and did

did the jobs at work for ask of them so but it was just a more physical things

things I was still work full time at that time it was a & a truck with a part

part time position I had to go back to working so I trying to balance work um homem de meaning

what kind of hard to deal with things when you want to have during the day and that was what was needed

and the physical things and I thought well II for bed for my for the best meat for the best the community

stepside where were coming calls coming close to the end of the program

00:49:30

even though you were not in village government after that unless I don’t know

I don’t know if you were used in the village board on board also

Nocturne Residence Inn you seen this rebuilding um going

going on over the years how do you feel about your town now I’m very

proud of the town in the people in it and that its its its a small

small town guy and that its small town living is great

and I can’t say enough about the people of Ogden what ive been to and what they come true

00:50:05

come thru and that the reason to get the show tonight would increase the People Gifford

to stand firm and they will get through this well Jim Killen I wanna thank you

thank you for talking with us about how often recovered from the tornado that struck their age

18 years ago and I thank you very much for talking with us today

okay thank you and also increase to Gifford leaders political leaders

distance that they would come together in and that and that you be much but strong

stronger Port aux cable thank you very much my thanks to to record a berry

00:50:40

Barry of the Champaign County Emergency Management Agency and Mary Southerland

we talk to at the start of the program she lost her house and get for to a tornado but she and her husband

husband a term in to rebuild when walking any additional thought you have about today

today’s program on a website you can go to a directly at will.illinois.edu/

you slash focus today show was produced by Lindsey moon Jason prophets are testicles

technical director and handles your calls sorry leszokas are internet with production and research

research special things to Sean powers around the track down audio Auburn news coverage

00:51:15

the 1996 Ogden tornado strike tomorrow on focus Ruby sue Martin

discussion of Higher Education this time with a look at community colleges

I guess ill be the President to Parkland College in Champaign and Danville Area Community

Unity College in Danville NJ Meadows is focus on WILL