BELLEVUE, Iowa -- Roofs were ripped off houses and barns, and a mobile home was demolished by strong winds, possibly a tornado, that roared up a valley just south of the Bellevue city limits Friday afternoon.
Bellevue Fire Chief Chris Roling said 30 structures, including five houses, sustained major damage or were destroyed. Several families described seeing multiple funnel clouds in the storm, he said.
"In my 33 years with the Fire Department, I've never seen anything like this damage. But the good thing is, no one was hurt."
One family lost everything in the storm.
Tami and Dave Michel and their son, Austin, 6, escaped from their mobile home at 23852 362nd Ave. minutes before high winds tore it apart. They saw the storm approaching up a long valley west of their trailer and rushed to Tami's mother's house not far away. Nancy Roe is confined to a wheelchair, so the couple helped her get into her basement where they all spent the next few frightening minutes.
"You could feel (the tornado) come through. Glass was blowing downstairs on us," said
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When the family members came up and looked toward where their trailer had been, they saw nothing but debris. Twisted metal and pieces of broken possessions were all that was left of the home they had lived in for nine years.
"I just started screaming and bawling," Tami said. The couple's two vehicles also were destroyed, one crushed under a collapsed garage and the other under a demolished carport.
The Michels' Maltese poodle Bo Bo was rescued unharmed by emergency workers who found the dog trapped under debris.
"Right now all we have is the clothes on our backs," Tami said. "But we're thankful that we're all alive."
The family's home and vehicles were insured.
Just northeast of the Michels' residence, the storm tore the roof off a small house. Melissa Schmidt and her two children live there, but they were not home at the time. Debris and roof pieces littered the backyard. In all directions, large trees were uprooted or broken apart.
Downed trees closed off several county roads in the vicinity. Volunteer city, county and state workers brought in chain saws and heavy equipment to clear roadways. One volunteer narrowly escaped serious injury while helping to cut a large tree across an access road.
Nate Jones, of Bellevue, was in the middle of the road, in front of the felled tree, when he saw a truck roaring toward him. Jones jumped aside as the truck skidded into the tree. The impact forced the truck into a ditch.
"I saw him just come flying up," said Jones, shaking.
A Jackson County Sheriff's deputy handcuffed the driver and pushed him into a squad car. His name and any charges against him were not known as of press time.
The American Red Cross of the Tri-states was on hand to help affected families.
As of Friday night, the National Weather Service in the Quad Cities couldn't confirm whether an actual tornado was to blame for the damage. The weather service will send a survey team to the area today.
There is a 50 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms today, according to the weather service.
Beyond Bellevue, the Jo Daviess County (Ill.) Sheriff's Department said weather spotters reported tornadic activity just south of Scales Mound and funnel clouds west of Apple River Friday afternoon. They dissipated while traveling east/northeast toward Wisconsin.
There was no damage reported in these areas.
The Grant County (Wis.) Sheriff's Department had no reports of damage or injuries due to the storm.
