With the near-certainty of tornadoes and other severe spring weather looming three weeks ago, Macomb School Superintendent Patrick Twomey decided to keep kids at home instead of having them come to school.
“This is really the first time in my 18-year career as a superintendent that I’ve done that,” Twomey said.
But the deadly tornadoes that swept through the south one week earlier were fresh in his mind. And on March 31, not only did the National Weather Service issue severe storm watches, but it had Macomb included in an area with a high likelihood of tornadoes.
“This was different because they drew a circle, and they said within that circle there will be multiple tornadoes,” Twomey said.
The weather service now says 30 tornadoes have been confirmed as part of the March 31 outbreak in Illinois and Iowa. There were also reports of large hail and damaging winds.
Eleven people were injured. There were no fatalities.
Twomey said he did not want students leaving school – either through an early dismissal or at the regular time -- to be caught in a dangerous storm.
“I’m not sure I buy this ‘Macomb dome’ thing but I’m thankful that it worked this time. We were watching the storm come in and literally, just before entering Macomb, it split, and half the storm went to the north and half the storm went to the south. It literally hit on every side of us,” Twomey said.
The district held a remote learning day on March 31.
Twomey said some parents questioned his choice. He said that happens any time he makes a weather-related decision. Those decisions usually come in the winter because of a heavy snowfall or extremely cold temperatures.
Twomey said he’s confident he did the right thing three weeks ago. He said he put student safety first, and added we got lucky that the worst storms on that day missed Macomb.
The district also took action on Thursday, April 20, when severe thunderstorms moved through the region during the afternoon hours. The district delayed dismissing students until the threat had passed.
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