Illinois state Sen. Neil Anderson, R-47th | Photo Courtesy of Neil Anderson
Illinois state Sen. Neil Anderson, R-47th | Photo Courtesy of Neil Anderson
Illinois state Sen. Neil Anderson, R-47th, recently shared a ridealong in Hancock County to survey storm damage.
The damage was caused by high winds and thunderstorms in late June, according to a July 7 Facebook post.
"This week I did a ride along with Sheriff Duffy and the Hancock County Sheriff's Office surveying the storm damage that recently hit the area," he said in the Facebook post.
The thunderstorms that blew through Hancock County and other areas caused power outages and other damage was part of a system the National Weather Service calls a derecho. A derecho is defined as “a widespread, long-lived wind storm that is associated with a band of rapidly moving showers or thunderstorms variously known as bow echoes, squall lines or quasi-linear convective systems. By definition, if the wind damage swath extends more than 400 miles in length and 60 miles in width, includes wind gusts of at least 58 mph (50 kt) or greater along most of its length, along with several well-separated 75 mph (65 kt) or greater gusts, then the event is classified a derecho.”
“Preliminary survey information by the National Weather Service in Davenport, Iowa found evidence of wind gusts topping 120 mph in Hancock County, Ill., near the town of Adrian,” a CBS2 Iowa News report said. The storm created a path from Indiana to Nebraska. Illinois was not the only state affected.
WCAZ Radio reported Hancock County Emergency Service and Disaster Agency set up a hotline to report damage related to the June 29 event. The report said individuals can report house damage or damage to outbuildings and grain bins in this manner: Call 217-845-5002, or email esda@hancockcounty-il.gov. Individuals should leave their name, address and contact information.
Tri States Public Radio reported June 29 that 51% of Ameren Power’s customers were without electrical service, and nearly half of those in McDonough County were also without power.
Anderson has served the 47th District since 2015, according to his website. The district now includes portions and or all of Adams, Fulton, Hancock, Henderson, Henry, Knox, Mason, McDonough, Menard, Mercer, Peoria, Rock Island, Schuyler, Stark, Tazwell and Warren counties. When he's not serving the residents of the 47th District as a legislator in Springfield, Anderson is a firefighter and paramedic in Moline.
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