SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO) — McCook County was hit hard by a wall of wind from the storm this evening.
Emery Mayor Andy Erickson said no travel is advised in the city. The storm caused extensive damage including blowing over trees and power lines, he said.
B.J. Stiefvater of McCook County Emergency Management advised no travel in the county as the storm cut a wide path of damage from south of Bridgewater to north of Salem.
“It got really dark and that’s when the power went out,” Erickson said of the storm. Erickson said he talked with the county sheriff’s office, and it appears that straight line winds caused the damage.
Highway 262, which is the main road in the city, is blocked by a collapsed grain bin. Several other streets are blocked by downed lines and trees, he said.
Collapsed grain bins are a common site in the county. KELOLAND News reported seeing multiple damaged bins near Salem, Emery and Bridgewater.
A wall of wind struck houses and businesses and pulled off roofs and broke windows through the city of Salem.
The fire chief in Bridgewater says there’s significant damage in town.
Doug Weber says trees are down and uprooted, and severe damage to buildings and power lines down all over town.
Weber says shortly after the storm pushed through, crews were called to a house fire, but were quickly able to get it under control.
Then got called to the Diamond Care Center, a retirement center to assist with their damage. Weber says in all his years of living there, he’s never seen anything like it, but says he’s thankful everyone is okay.