Just to let you all know, a tornado went through Wayne County this afternoon. At least one person may have been killed and quite a lot of damage was reported. You might want to check www.wfiwradio.com <http://www.wfiwradio.com/> or the www.evansvillecourier.com <http://www.evansvillecourier.com/> website for details. My relatives living in Fairfield escaped with a little damage, but everyone was ok. I hope and pray that all of your families are ok too. Diane Lehner

Diane Sorry to hear about the tornado. Glad to hear your relatives are ok. Here's the news from www.myinky.com Tornado kills two in Southern Illinois By Ryan Reynolds April 21, 2002 FAIRFIELD, Ill. - A tornado ripped through several Wayne County communities Sunday, killing two people and injuring 23 others. Authorities identified one of the victims as Michael D. Watkinson, 47, of Wayne City. He was inside a mobile home when the storm hit. A person with him died after being flown by helicopter to Good Samaritan Hospital in Mount Vernon, Ill. Authorities have not released that victim's name. Five other people were also flown to the Mount Vernon hospital, but their conditions were not immediately available. The tornado, which touched down shortly after 4 p.m., damaged or destroyed homes in the Southern Illinois towns of Wayne City, Sims, Fairfield, Merriam, and Golden Gate. The worst property damage occurred at Sims, a town of 150 people seven miles west of Fairfield, just east of Wayne City. In Sims, several homes and businesses - including the county's only tavern were destroyed at the intersection of Illinois 15 and Sims Road. A salvage yard was also hit there, scattering debris for hundreds of yards and flipping over semi-tractors and trailers. Forecasters issued severe weather warnings for the Tri-State after 3:30 p.m., including tornado warnings in Wayne and White counties in Illinois and Posey County in Indiana. In Vanderburgh County, the National Weather Service issued a severe thunderstorm warning and a severe downpour flooded numerous streets. The National Weather Service also issued flash flood warnings for the counties of Vanderburgh, Posey and Warrick. Numerous roads were closed because of flooding. There is a simple explanation for Sunday's violent weather, according to Pat Spoden, National Weather Service meteorologist. "It's spring," he said. "You've always got to watch the weather in spring." Fairfield (Ill.) Police Chief Brad Winter said about 18 or 20 people received treatment at the Fairfield Memorial Hospital for injuries caused by the storm. Most of the damage in Fairfield was on Broadway Street, located on the city's south side. Fairfield Mayor Mickey Borah said: "It's bad, but it could have been a lot worse, the crews got to work quickly on the damage." Mobile homes were flipped over and a few were destroyed. One of the homes damaged was that of Wayne County Board Chairman Harold Tubbs, 59. He arrived home from a trip and found his one-story home damaged and his mini-van under debris, including downed trees. Sonny Day, a 70-year-old man who lives less than a block from the damage on Fairfield's Broadway Street, said he was sitting inside his home with his daughter, Sandra Wilson, when the tornado hit. "It sounded like a train coming in here," he said. "I've never seen anything like it." Diane Bunting Lehner wrote: > Just to let you all know, a tornado went through Wayne County this > afternoon. > At least one person may have been killed and quite a lot of damage was > reported. > You might want to check www.wfiwradio.com <http://www.wfiwradio.com/> > or the www.evansvillecourier.com <http://www.evansvillecourier.com/> > website for details. > > My relatives living in Fairfield escaped with a little damage, but > everyone was ok. I hope and > pray that all of your families are ok too. > > Diane Lehner > > ==== ILWAYNE Mailing List ==== > Any questions/problems regarding the Wayne County, Illinois list, > contact the listowner, Dianna Williams mailto:[email protected] > Visit the Wayne County, Illinois Genealogy web site at: > http://www.rootsweb.com/~ilwayne/