Six now confirmed dead from EF 4 tornado; several funeral notices posted
</element><element id="paragraph-1" type="body"><![CDATA[The number of people killed in Wednesday's EF 4 tornado rose to six, Coroner Jerry Watson announced Wednesday afternoon.
Four of those were female and two were male and all were adults. Obituaries arrived from Reed Funeral Chapel for two women killed in the tornado, Jaylynn Ferrell, 22, and Mary Ruth Osman, 75, both of Harrisburg.
Also killed were Randy and Donna Rann. Their arrangements are in the charge of Colonial Terrace Funeral Home of Eldorado.
A former Galatia resident, Lynda Hull, Harrisburg, also died in the storm and arrangements are pending at Sloan Funeral Home, Galatia.
Not long after the storm, Darrell Osman raced to his mother's home, arriving just in time to speak to her before she was taken to a hospital with a head injury, a severe cut to her neck and a broken arm and leg.
"She was conscious. I wouldn't say she was coherent. There were more mumbles than anything," he said. "She knew we were there."
Mary Osman died a short time later.
Osman and his sister sorted through the wreckage at the site of their mother's duplex, looking for photos and financial records. They found 10 old picture slides that were among a collection of hundreds. Some were caked in mud and damaged by water.
"My mother was a Christian," Osman said. "I know she's in a better place. That is the only thing getting me through this."
Jeff Rann lived just blocks from his parents in Harrisburg, but he got a tragic firsthand view of the fickle violence a major tornado can bring.
Rann survived the twister before dawn Wednesday, only to find his father killed and his mother mortally wounded after the tornado leveled their duplex.
Ferrell, a nurse at Harrisburg Medical Center, in obituary information is listed as being survived by her 3-year-old Sunday school class at First Baptist Church, along with her family members.
A scholarship fund has been set up in her memory to benefit nursing students.
The storm is estimated to have injured 100, damaged or destroyed 200 to 300 homes through the county and damaged or destroyed 25 businesses, according to the Saline County Sheriff's Office.
A shelter is open at the First Baptist Church in Harrisburg at 204 N. Main St. Donations may be made to the Red Cross at the First Baptist Church, The Salvation Army at 10 W. Locust St. in Harrisburg or Christian Community Compassion Center at P.O. Box 422, Harrisburg, Ill. 62946.
National Weather Service of Paducah, Ky., meteorologist Rick Shanklin said preliminary estimates place the tornado at the EF 4 level with 170 mph peak winds and a damage path roughly 200 yards wide that expands in width as it continues east.
Shanklin said the NWS bases the peak wind speeds on the damage done to the strip mall at the Wal-Mart area that was reduced to rubble.
Shanklin said there had been reports of a tornado six miles south of Marion at 4:38 a.m. and a spotter report of a tornado two miles southwest of Harrisburg prior to the tornado that hit Harrisburg at 4:56 a.m.
The damage path of the tornado from the Dorrisville area as far southwest as 1617 Delmar Ave. where it ripped the roof off of Gene Lacey's home and extended northeast, taking out Southern FS on South Main Street, businesses along U.S. Route 45, destroyed the strip mall south of Wal-Mart, destroyed many homes in the Gaskins City and Shawnee Hill Country Club area and on to cross state Route 13.
The storm caused major damage in Ridgway, including the destruction of St. Joseph's Catholic Church.
Another area just outside the village limits of Carrier Mills, also received damage. A church and several houses were damaged, according to the sheriff's office.
Shanklin said he had spoken to several Harrisburg residents who reported they had been notified of the storm through sirens, phone calls and other means. He said the timing of the storms is a reminder for people to purchase weather radios.
"Fatalities are twice as likely overnight," Shanklin said.
Wednesday morning Saline County Board Chairman Jay Williams declared a state of emergency for the county.
Mayor Eric Gregg said he has been in contact with Governor Pat Quinn's office regarding the disaster.
"I was on the phone with the governor's office at 6 a.m. today and he is en route," Gregg said during a press conference.
The governor arrived in Harrisburg during the afternoon to inspect the damage.
Police Chief Bob Smith said a curfew was in place for the affected areas between 6 p.m. and 6 a.m.
The first command center is the Saline County Sheriff's Office with secondary command centers at Rural King's parking lot and the SIC Foundation Building parking lot. The Rural King parking lot will be used for equipment and the SIC Foundation Building will be used for manpower. Police and other emergency crews arrived from throughout the Midwest, Gregg said.
|Smith said anyone doing work related to the storm will need to report to Rural King to obtain a work permit. No one will be allowed to work in Harrisburg without a work permit, which is free, Smith said.
"We don't want agencies coming in promising things and not delivering," Smith said.
Smith said there will be other police agencies in town helping with patrol for the next few days.
Smith said many individuals have offered their services as volunteers and asks them to contact (618) 252-3732.
Fire Chief Bill Summers said every fire department in the county assisted Harrisburg firefighters in rescuing trapped residents.
"We were able to rescue a lot of people," Summers said.
He described the Gaskins City area as "like a war zone."
Summers said crews through the day were searching for people, but all those reported missing were located by early afternoon.
Ameren Director of Operations John Barud said at one point 14,200 customers were out of power through Harrisburg, Carbondale, Anna and Mounds City. By early afternoon that number was 3,300 out of service.
At its peak 9,000 customers were out of power in Harrisburg.
By Wednesday evening 400 linemen, engineers and support personnel were to be working in the Harrisburg area.
Barud said there is one area the workers had not been able to get in as of Wednesday afternoon to see and that is where he believes the worst damage is located.
He expects all power to be restored by Friday.
Barud said anyone who sees lines down to call 1(800) 755-5000 and to treat every wire as though it is hot.
Steve Green, manager of public affairs for Atmos, said those removing debris should be aware of the possibility of gas leaks beneath the debris and when removing trees to be aware of possible underground gas lines.
He asked for those in the areas of high wind and flying debris to check their gas vents for damage.
Saline County Sheriff's E-911 Director Lt. Tracy Felty asks people to contact Ameren or Atmos regarding utilities and not to call 911.