Storm brings trees down on power lines, property in Vernon County

Eric Wade/Daily Mail-- Sheldon Fire Chief David May cuts and removes a fallen tree branch from the roadway in Sheldon in the aftermath of a Tuesday night storm.

Storms ripped through the area again late Tuesday night, toppling trees knocking down limbs and causing damage from one end of Vernon County to the other. Nevada Public Safety Director Gary Herstein said the storm escalated quickly.

"I was listening to the weather radio, it turns on automatically and runs for five minutes and turns off," Herstein said. "It came on and said there a severe thunderstorm watch and ran for five minutes and turned off. It immediately came back on and said we were in a severe thunderstorm warning and ran for five minutes and turned off. It immediately came back on and said there was a tornado warning, so I came on in."

Damage to vehicles in Nevada included a car in the Nevada Country Club parking lot struck by a limb, a van on Spring Street with a tree fallen on it, a car on North Ash with a tree on it and others.

Kurt Moore/Special to the Daily Mail-- Workers clear away debris from Lynn St. in Nevada.

Houses also suffered during the storm. For example, a house on South Pine was struck when a tree blew into it. Randy Akers' home south of Nevada came extremely close to being damaged but suffered only a mashed gutter from the two tress that fell next to it.

The train tracks south of town were covered by a tree that had fallen and a work crew was busy removing the blockage Wednesday morning.

City crews were busy removing debris from streets and sidewalks, including the remains of the mural on the west wall of the Ring TV building which was torn from the building and lying in the street. Street crews salvaged the mural and Nevada/Vernon County Chamber of Commerce Director Kathi Wysong said she is in consultation with the mural committee and the building owner to figure out a solution. Public works employees carefully photographed the parts of the mural that were still in tact, to make it easier to put the panels back up in the right order. The mural, "Vernon County Valor," honors local veterans and bears the insignias of their units. It was painted off site on a series of plywood panels, then attached to a wall outside Ring TV, in the 100 block of S. Cedar St., on a wooden frame. The frame that had supported the mural was mangled, and although many of the mural's panels were torn or otherwise damaged, some were virtually unscarred.

Daily Mail Staff-- Crews clear debris from the railroad line in Nevada on Wednesday.

The city of Nevada is accepting tree limbs and storm debris at the Public Works yard on the corner of Jefferson and Douglas, through the green gates. Hours are 7 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., June 4-6 and June 9-13. Hours are 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., June 7-8.

Debris will be picked up in two weeks provided the limbs are cut in eight foot lengths or shorter and stacked behind the curb, for those residents unable to dispose of it themselves. Residents living on Austin are asked to place the debris by the alley behind their homes.

The Public Works department can be reached at (417) 448-2780.