Tornado jumps over Lime Springs

LIME SPRINGS - A little before 2 p.m. on Monday, May 27, several tornadoes were spotted in Howard County. Two different systems  produced separate tornadoes. The first went through the Riceville/Chester area while another went over the Elma/Lime Springs area.

The EF-1 tornado started out as little touchdowns between Elma and near Davis Corners. Just off Lilac Ave., two miles west of Davis Corners, the  tornado tore off one of the blades on a wind turbine and then hit a hog confinement building a quarter-mile down the road. 

Dan Clausen of Saratoga Wind Farms said as of Tuesday morning, only one turbine was hit, but several others will need to be looked at.

Stacy (Nathanael) Dohlman said on Tuesday the family lost a couple hogs but that was it. “We also had four cows and calves that we took to the in-laws.” There were two barns where the hogs were held; one was damaged more than the other. Dohlmans were able to move their animals to another barn. 

The storm continued traveling northeast.

Lime Springs firefighters/storm watchers Cody Bakken and Levi Hart saw the tornado on the ground and watched it cross west to east over Hwy. 63 about a half-mile south of town. They saw it lift up over the bins at A&K Elevator 3, south of town.

Howard County Sheriff's Deputy Tim Beckman relayed what State Tropper Shawn Wuchter saw. “He said the tornado went over the town at roof level.”

Trees were uprooted or broken off along the tornado’s path; some trees fell near Spring Apartments, the Betty Roesler home and Dawn Fairbanks’ home. At the Craig Niewoehner home next to Roesler, some shingles were torn off the roof.

The tornado traveled a block and took down a couple more trees, along with a strip of shingles from the Brenda Roethler home. She recalled, “I couldn’t even walk because the house was shaking so bad!” Some of the shingles found a home in the Lorrinea Munkel back yard three blocks away.

Behind the Keith Klomp home, three different sets of electric wires fell onto the roadway at the old elementary’s corner, which Alliant Energy was working on. 

In addition, many of the flag poles put up for Memorial Day by the Junior Community Club got bent by the strong winds.

Minutes after the storm passed through, locals were driving up and down the streets looking at damage. Then the pickups, trailers and chainsaws came out, and many pitched in to clear roads and clean up yards. After the storm watch was over, many of the firefighters also helped clean up debris.

Within four hours of the EF-1, the skid loaders were all being hauled out of town as the major clean-up was complete.

Another act of kindness was when Brian and Samantha Swestka of Cresco arrived in town and passed out hotdogs to those cleaning up.

Lime Springs Fire Chief Nate Schwickerath said, “We dodged a bullet. It could have been a lot worse.” He also mentioned that every time the department goes on storm watch, the town’s tornado shelter (Spring Ahead Learning Center) is open.

There was little structural damage and no injuries.