Twister narrowly misses IVCC
By the IV Leader Staff, May 6, 2004
The April 20 tornado that claimed eight lives in Utica and caused major damage in Utica, Granville and the south Lynwood subdivision of Peru, also provided a close call for Illinois Valley Community College.
“I don’t think people realize how close this school came to being majorly hit,” said Tom Schultz, instructional technology specialist and theatre department technical director, who saw the tornado as it approached from behind the IVCC gymnasium. “It skipped over and around the building. We were within feet of a direct hit.”
Bookstore employee Adam Holmberg also saw the tornado as he was helping to clear the third floor of Building B of people. Holmberg paused by the large window facing west at the northwest corner of Building B.
“I paused for a moment to see if I could see anything, and there was a large black cloud coming over the trees,” he said. “I wasn’t that concerned at first because it seemed to only be rotating near the top a little bit, so I walked away, but then I turned and watched for a moment.
“That is when I could see the tornado coming through the trees.”
Holmberg said the tornado appeared to be coming right for the school and he only learned later that the erratic path of the tornado had carried it just a few feet north of the school.
“Someone was watching over us last night,” Larry Rousey, director of facilities told the IVCC Board of
Trustees on April 21, the day following the storm. “There was damage within 40 feet of both B and D buildings along the northwest side of the college. The tornado damaged the roof of E building on its way out of the courtyard.”
The East Campus also sustained damage. Car windows on several vehicles parked in the East Campus parking lots were blown out, an Internet tower was bent and shingles were lost from the roof.
Marilyn Worsley, director of the Early Childhood Center, was alone on the East Campus when the tornado hit.
“I happened to look out my window and saw a part of the large, black funnel cloud coming right towards me,” she said. “I instantly thought I would never see anyone ever again – there are no lower levels in the East Campus buildings.”
Worsley ran into the Ag building so that she wouldn’t be alone and she and others could practically feel the pressure from the tornado as it passed.
Surveying the East Campus for damage she said she saw “a part of a tree that was ripped off the trunk and carefully set down about four feet away from the rest of the tree.”
Back on the main campus, students, faculty and staff who were down in the tunnels were hearing a fire alarm sound.
Holmberg called the situation in the tunnels “remarkable.” Holmberg said the alarm system “registered a fire alarm that could have driven some of the students out of the tunnels and into danger, but the students and faculty I was with stayed remarkably calm, even when they were asking me (and it was horrible to even have to consider this question) if the fire alarm was malfunctioning or if it was ringing because the building above was burning due to the tornado.”
Since the tornado, Worsley also has had time to reflect.
“There isn’t a safe place on the East Campus,” she said. “If it hit the building full force, I’m sure the roof would have been sucked off along with all of us who sought safety in the Ag building. It is scary to think about how lucky we are. What would have happened if it was around lunch time when we have 15 preschoolers running around outside? I think this would be a good time to try to seek funds for the East Campus, instead of waiting until the worst happens. Perhaps the state would be more willing now to help replace these buildings.”
The East Campus buildings were built in the early 1970s and were considered temporary until the main college buildings were constructed. However, the temporary buildings never went out of use because of space concerns in the main building.
Students coming to campus on the morning following the tornado saw that the courtyard had several trees felled and light posts were damaged. Damage that couldn’t be seen as easily occurred to the roof of E building, which has bent and twisted metal.
One part of the roof at the north end of IVCC even has a stick sticking out from the roof.
IVCC President Jean Goodnow commended those who were on campus April 20 for getting everyone to safety.
She singled out Schultz and Holmberg for their efforts and said, “Our staff, faculty and administration pulled together in an exceptional way demonstrating both timing and response to move our students to safety.”
IVCC is looking to help the communities that were damaged by the twister. Goodnow said, “As we continue to contact the key leaders in our area, we are anticipating further directives as to how we as a college might assist those communities so badly devastated by this event.”
A number of student organizations are collecting funds in the lobby of the school this week to help raise funds for school supplies for the schools that were damaged in Utica and Putnam County.
Students who donate receive a coupon for a free upsize at Pizano’s or Jeremiah Joe’s.