Residents of Galva are cleaning up after a powerful storm passed through in the evening hours of Monday, July 15. The storm, which also affected surrounding towns, left fractured trees, downed power lines, and broken fences in its wake. Some were left without power for many hours.
Falling limbs damaged several homes and garages, and some vehicles fell victim to large branches and flying debris. In some instances, entire trees were uprooted – blocking roadways and disrupting traffic. Dumpsters, trampolines and lawn furniture were blown into the street. A large, inflatable coffee cup was pulled from the Old Bank Coffee overhang and made its way into the downtown area where it rolled about until the shop’s owner was able to corral it.
According to City Manager Dave Dyer, employees from the police, fire and city departments responded as soon as Adam Jaquet, Galva’s ESDA Director gave the “all clear.”
Police reported downed power lines and workers quickly barricaded those areas. Then streets were cleared as quickly as possible in case emergency vehicles needed access to residents.
Crews worked through the night to clear debris from streets and intersections and place barricades where needed. As of yesterday, a few streets were still off limits, as Ameren worked to repair electric service to neighborhoods. Homeowners are busy clearing away branches, and the buzzing of chainsaws could be heard on almost every street.
The downtown did not suffer much damage and almost all businesses were open to customers following the storm. Traffic into and out of town was not affected.
According to Jaquet, the storm was classified as a “derecho” by the US Weather Service. “A derecho is a widespread, long-lived windstorm,” he said, “and the worst one since 2023 when wind speeds reached 100 miles per hour.” The National Weather Service Storm Prediction Center reported multiple wind gusts in parts of Henry County to be in the 75-90 mph range during the recent storm.
Unlike tornadoes, which twist, derechos produce destruction in a relatively straight line over a large area. Derechos can occur during any season but are most common in summer. The term “derecho” comes from the Spanish word for “straight.”
Even with most streets open Mayor Rich Volkert urged residents to avoid driving near workers
“Our city employees have been doing a tremendous job,” said Volkert. “Please be mindful of them and other workers who are repairing damage and restoring power.”
Dyer predicts that the clean up will be complete by the end of next week.
“Galva provides free brush pick up, which is a real help to residents” he said, “Galva is lucky to have such a great response team in situations like this.”
