PEORIA MAGAZINE November 2023

IEMA Director Jonathon Monken addresses the media with Washington Mayor Gary Manier, left, after the Nov. 17, 2023 tornado

Tri-County COAD meeting at the Tazewell Emergency Management Agency Building on the anniversary

who volunteered to allow dumping on their property just to have a place to put the trees, building materials and oth er debris. Meanwhile, Ameren worked diligently to restore power and make everything safe. Photos were taken of found items and placed on the web for residents to search; many of them were reunited with their owners. Hundreds of personal possessions were held for almost five years. Besides photos and other papers, there was a family Bible and a wedding dress among other precious items. Important papers, documents and photographs were found as far away as Chicago. Ralph Koonce’s military papers were found on a fence post near Midway Airport. He was one of the people who died as a result of injuries he received during the tornado. Several groups were born out of the need to organize recovery assistance. One, Long Term Recovery (LTR), was composed of about 100 volunteers from various churches, civic and other orga nizations to provide assistance from the more than $1.5 million that had been donated from all over the country. Some 1,100 people received help, from the pur chase of washing machines to tree re moval, said LTR leader Jim Fassino. Terry Bibo Knight, with her media connections as a former Journal Star reporter, was instrumental in getting the word out to those in need. GETTING THE COMMUNITY’S ACT TOGETHER

command center that included key people from organizations such as Tazewell County EMA, Ameren, police and fire departments, as well as other agencies. Nine town hall meetings were held to keep people informed and assist with insurance issues and other problems. Manier said that one important lesson local residents have learned is to pay attention to the tornado sirens. Schools and businesses were not se verely affected, for the most part, with the exception of Hillcrest Golf Course and the Uftring car dealership, where more than 300 cars were damaged. Besides a portion of a roof being de stroyed, every one of the approximately 30 churches in town remained intact. Donations of clothing, food, water and other essentials came in by the truck load, with local churches working hard to ensure these items got to those who needed them. WHAT A MESS The cleanup following a storm of this magnitude was nothing if not formidable, with parts of buildings and their contents, vehicles, trees and everything imaginable strewn all over town. What do you do with all of the debris? What about items you find that you know may be of value to someone but you have no idea whom they belong to? People were told to put debris at the curb. Waste Management kept the land fill open so garbage could be dumped at any time. With winter coming soon, it was important to get everything cleaned up. There were people with open land

Dawn Cook, director of the Emer gency Management Agency in Tazewell County, was involved in taking care of storm victims and has continued to advocate for preparedness against natural disasters. Spotters are now in place to report to the National Weather Service, and 52 volunteers are at the ready to do search and rescue following weather emergencies. Another organizational offspring of the 2013 tornado is Community Organizations Active in a Disaster, or COAD, composed of the likes of the Tazewell County EMA, Ameren, Salvation Army, Rubicon, Red Cross, churches, Lions Clubs and Peoria Humane Society. Its goal is to be able to coordinate mass care, donations and volunteer management, and offer assistance in any disaster by supporting first responders. With representatives from Tazewell, Peoria and Woodford counties, the group meets quarterly. When asked how the community has changed since Nov. 17, 2013, many Washingtonians noted that they have learned how to ask for help when they need it. One message came through loud and clear: People are grateful to live in a community that has become closer and stronger than ever.

Pam Tomka is the retired director of the Washington District Library. She recently was elected to the Library Board there

NOVEMBER 2023 PEORIA MAGAZINE 39