Storms rip through Bureau County

Chain saws, power trucks, tree services, gawkers ... they were out in force Saturday morning, as the effects of a late night Friday storm left portions of the county in shambles.

According to meteorologist Christ Lagro with the National Weather Service in the Quad Cities, the 82 mile an hour, straight-line winds that ripped through the county were measured by a weather spotter in Princeton. Lagro said no tornadoes were reported in the county, though many people in the southeast corner of Princeton and along Route 26 headed to Bureau beg to differ. Downed corn, uprooted and twisted trees, roofs ripped off ... "That's a sure sign of a twister," said one man who was surveying the damage at a property on East Thompson Street in Princeton.

Besides the 80-plus mile an hour winds, Lagro said the driving rain that pelted the county delivered between 1 and 2.5 inches in various places. The storms tracked northwest to southeast. While a few county residents reported small hail, Legro said the largest hail reported was in northeastern Iowa, where grapefruit-sized hail caused considerable damage.

On Saturday morning, Princeton City Manager Jeff Fiegenschuh said Princeton Fire Chief John Petrakis instigated the city's emergency operation plan Friday night, and the city responded appropriately to the storm and its aftermath. He said he believed power had been restored to all Princeton residents, however, if anyone was still without power, they should call (815) 879-8066. Fiegenschuh also asked all residents to stay out of Oakland Cemetery until the city could better survey the damage.

Besides considerable tree and structure damage to many area homes, a host of businesses suffered from the storm's fury. The landscaped lawn at Norberg's Funeral Home in Princeton was littered with shingles — a gaping hole in the roof was the end result.

Festival 56's Shakespeare in the Park stage was demolished in the storm, but early Saturday morning, festival participants were trying to salvage what they could. Sunday's Shakespeare in the Park will still be performed because, "The show must go on," Festival 56 Director Dexter Brigham said.

There were no birdies or bogies at Wyaton Hills Golf Course either. No there would be no fair days on the fairways. The course suffered considerable tree damage, and the sound of chain saws could be heard, as workers attempted to clear the debris from every hole on the course.