Major Storm Sweeps Through Our Area Causing Widespread Damage
May 27 — A series of thunderstorms described by officials at the National Weather Service as an “inland hurricane” struck Farmington and the surrounding area with winds up to 90 mph in the late afternoon on Saturday, May 27, causing widespread property damage. The storm also interrupted electric service in our area for up to 24 hours. Seemingly every home in the impacted area suffered damage to trees, roofs, and outdoor fixtures that included a full-sized trampoline that was suspended on a Highway 00 power line. As late as 3 p.m. on the following day more than 3,000 residents were still without power in St. Francois and some surrounding counties. As late as late Sunday morning some of the stores in the Maple Valley Shopping Center had remained closed because of power outages. The photos below show a few examples of the damage to our area, which give testimony to the strength of the storm.