Severe weather hit west-central Illinois on April 4, causing damage and power outages. According to the National Weather Service, the supercell produced baseball-sized hail and several tornadoes, one with peak winds estimated near 160 mph. Communities in Fulton County sustained the most damage from the storm.
Living by the cooperative principles of “cooperation among cooperatives” and “concern for community,” co-ops sent line crews to help sister co-ops with recovery efforts. McDonough Power Cooperative reported 25 broken poles and was able to return power to its members on April 5 with the help of neighboring co-op Adams Electric Cooperative.
Spoon River Electric Cooperative (SREC) sustained the most damage from the storm and reported more than 100 broken poles throughout its service territory. Crews spent several days clearing roads and setting new poles to restore power. With the help of line crews from Illinois Electric Cooperative, Shelby Electric Cooperative, Western Illinois Electrical Coop., Rural Electric Convenience Cooperative and M.J.M. Electric Cooperative, SREC was able to restore power to all its members by April 10.
Photo courtesy of Tyler Girard, Spoon River Electric Cooperative
