The National Weather Service is classifying the storm that smacked Galesburg and the surrounding area on Monday night as a derecho.
Derechos are long-lived, straight-line wind storms associated with a band of rapidly moving showers or thunderstorms.
“There were numerous reports of wind damage in the area. At this point, we’ve seen reports of tree limbs down and power poles broken in Galesburg," said Daryl Onton, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Lincoln.
Onton said a wind sensor at the Galesburg Municipal Airport lost power shortly after the storm began. But to the east of Knox County in Elmwood, they received a report of winds reaching 71 mph.
"There were a few potential tornados in the area and we are investigating those,” Onton said.
As of 1 p.m. Tuesday, there were still a number of households without power in Knox and Warren counties.
The National Weather Service confirmed an EF-1 tornado in the Quad cities that caused damage to trees, roofs, and cars just south of Kimberly Road in Davenport.
A press release from the city of Galesburg says crews are working to clear tree limbs and storm debris from public roadways and right-of-ways.
But in situations where power lines are involved, city staff are unable to clear debris until Ameren provides clearance.
That could take time because the storm affected a large portion of Ameren’s territory.
Information about closed roadways in Galesburg is available on the city’s website and will be updated as roads are cleared.
More information about cleanup efforts in Galesburg is provided below.
Residents can drop off storm debris at the oversized brush and limb drop-off, 636 Pickard Road. The drop-off site will be open for extended hours for the next two weeks, operating from Wednesday through Sunday each week (July 17-21 and July 24-28), with hours from 7 a.m to 4:30 p.m. on Wednesday and Thursday, and 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on Friday through Sunday.
Additional information on the oversized brush and limb drop-off site can be found on the city's website.
City crews will be out in full force to address the first round of storm clean-up necessary to clear roadways and address the most severe storm damage. After the first wave of crucial clean-up is complete, the city will further assess the extent of the storm damage, and provide additional information regarding any further remediation, or storm clean-up assistance.
Storm clean-up resources and answers to frequently asked questions:
· The City will clear all trees and limbs from public property, such as the street, terrace/right of way, and public parks.
· The City will clear all downed city-owned trees (those planted on city property, including the right-of-way), regardless of where they fall, including if they fall on privately owned property.
· Residents are responsible for clearing downed trees or limbs from their own privately owned trees, except for the portions that may have fallen on the roadway or right of way, as city forces will clear all debris from the roadway and right of way.
· Smaller sections of limbs and branches may be placed at the curb for the standard yard waste pick-up. The guidelines for this process are noted in the bullets below, and more details can be found on the yard waste page of the city's website.
City crews will continue to work as quickly as possible to ensure debris is cleared and roads are opened expeditiously. If supplemental storm clean-up is necessitated, additional information will be provided by the city. For more information, or questions not addressed in the bullets above, please contact the Public Works Department at (309)345-3623.
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