Parts of Kewanee look like a war zone Tuesday morning. A storm with intense high winds and rain brought down trees and power lines throughout the city.

It was unclear if the storm was a tornado, but City Manager Gary Bradley said the Henry County Office of Emergency Management (OEM) reported that wind speeds reached 112 mph.

Streets were blocked by fallen trees and limbs throughout the city, and in some places yellow tape had been stretched across streets to keep traffic away.

All four Kewanee Park District parks sustained heavy damage with trees blown over and limbs coming down.

People gathered in yards Tuesday morning inspecting damaged and fallen trees and checking to see if their homes had been damaged.

Kewanee’s public works department issued this information Tuesday morning:

“Due to the recent severe storm and the extensive damage it has caused, the City of Kewanee is tentatively postponing trash collection by one day. This delay is to allow our public works crews and Ameren Illinois the necessary time to safely restore power, clear downed trees and limbs, and ensure that roads are safe for travel.

Additionally, the Transfer Station will be closed due to a power outage.

“The storm has left many roads blocked, and residents are reminded to exercise caution while driving. Please be particularly mindful of downed power lines, which pose a significant safety hazard.

“Furthermore, the storm has caused significant damage to the cemetery. It is recommended that residents avoid visiting the cemetery until the storm damage has been cleaned up. If you must visit, please be mindful of crews working in the area to restore and clean up the damage.

“We understand that these disruptions may cause some inconvenience, and we appreciate your understanding and cooperation as we work diligently to restore normalcy to our community.

“Further information regarding City-provided services will be shared as it becomes available. We thank you for your patience and cooperation during this challenging time.”

City officials and agencies have responded to The Kewanee Voice’s request for information about the storm’s aftermath and cleanup. Here is what they told us:

Henry County Office of Emergency Managment

The Henry County Office of Emergency Management declared a local state of emergency for Kewanee and Wethersfield Townships, meaning that uninsured or underinsured homeowners that do not have the physical ability to clear fallen trees from their property can seek assistance from the OEM.

“The OEM has partnered with a local non-profit to provide a tree cutting service for qualifying impacted residents,” a statement from the agency said. Qualified residents should call the OEM at (309) 937-3999 as soon as possible to be added to the list.

In addition, the OEM remained open overnight to process requests and to provide shelter for those in need, especially for residents with medical issues and no power. On its social media page, the City of Kewanee announced anyone without power with a medical necessity could stay in units at the OEM, located at 4424 US 34 Hwy.

An additional announcement from the city stated that the city “sustained a lot of damage” between Sunday night’s storm and the second storm on Monday. City officials seek patience from residents as crews begin to place barricades, clear streets, move downed trees and limbs and work with utility companies to restore services.

“We ask that you stay off the roads if possible and stay far away from any downed lines,” City officials said.

Kewanee Police Department

Since the storm raged through, the Kewanee Police Department has been hard at work, said Police Chief Stephen Kijanowski.

Under the cover of darkness, the department has been involved in placing barriers on impassable roadways, but on Monday morning, there were areas of Kewanee where it’s still not safe to drive.

“If you don’t have to travel, I wouldn’t,” said Kijanowski.

Kijanowski said the department has done its best to get barricades up and if residents see a barricade, they should be aware they are there for a reason.

Main roads, such as Hwy 34 and 78 have been cleared. Some arterial roads have been cleared as well, but Prospect and Divisions streets in some places are blocked.

From police observations, the southwest side of Kewanee “was hit the hardest,” and downed power lines are everywhere, said Kijanowski.

“There are ways to get around, but [drivers] need to be patient and cognizant of debris,” he said.

On Cambridge Road, a transformer had been on fire and other transformers in town also caught fire, he said. Some utility poles are also down, making it difficult for the Public Works department to clear away roadways.

“We are waiting on Ameren to turn off power,” he said.

Kijanowski also recommends that residents don’t try to clear roadways by themselves because of the downed wires.

The KPD is also advising residents without power or residents with medical devices, that the Kewanee City Hall and the OEM are both considered cooling centers, but the OEM is better equipped to handle residents with medical devices. He also recommends that they call the OEM first to inquire.

Kewanee Fire Department

Fire Chief Stephen Welgat said that the storm damage is extensive. Officials are still unclear if what Kewanee experienced was a tornado, but winds topped 100 mph.

Numerous fire and ambulance calls, some for people on oxygen who lost power, were received. Several calls were reporting transformer fires.

The KFD responded to a gas leak at Midland Plaza. Ameren is working to repair the leak, Welgat said.

No deaths or serious injuries have been reported. “We got lucky in that respect,” Welgat said.

Welgat reiterated what the Kewanee Police Chief said, that clearing the streets has been slowed by the fact that in many cases, Ameren has to shut off power so that power lines can be safely removed.

“It will take a while to get to them all,” Welgat said.

Ameren Illinois

Brian Bretsch, a spokesperson for Ameren, told The Kewanee Voice that as of 8:15 a.m., 4,100 residents in Henry County were still without power. The largest number of those customers were in Kewanee. As of that time, 3,758 Kewanee residents remained without power.

Bretsch said with the better weather Tuesday morning, crews should be arriving in Henry County and Kewanee soon. Those crews can then assess the damage, he said.

Ameren has called in extra resources from Southern Illinois.

“So they’ll be moving up to our area,” he said, estimating that extra crews should arrive in the next five or six hours.

In addition, Ameren is gathering tree trimmers and reaching out to mutual assistance from Midwest states that weren’t impacted by weather- states such as Indiana, Wisconsin and Ohio.

Crews will continue to work throughout the day and into the night, but Bretsch said they won’t be able to give any restoration updates until they can make an assessment. Ameren will provide those updates as quickly as possible.

Bretsch also advised residents to check on their senior neighbors or neighbors with children who are without power to make sure they are safe. Ameren also recommends that customers make sure that their Ameren contact information is updated and residents can sign up to receive alerts through both email or texts.

“We must have the customer’s correct phone number and email address,” to send out those alerts. Customers are encouraged to log in to their Ameren Illinois account and ensure their contact information is correct. Sign up for alerts by texting REG to AMEREN (263736) to start or visit Ameren.com/Alerts.

Customers can also follow Ameren Illinois on Facebook and X to get the latest information on what’s happening with restoration efforts.

Kewanee Park District

Parks Director Andrew Dwyer said he is still trying to assess the damage of Monday’s storm. Dwyer said he hadn’t been able to get to Windmont Park yet but that he hadn’t heard good things. Downed trees and damaged fencing have been reported there.

Baker Park Golf Course has no power, and downed trees are reported at many of the parks, with Chautauqua experiencing extensive damage, he said. Northeast Park, he said, looks as if it came away from the storm fairly unscathed with one downed tree.

Dwyer said he would survey the parks and release more information to the public about the cleanup as it became available.

The City of Kewanee

City Manager Gary Bradley said it will take days to complete the cleanup work after the storm.

“People just need to understand that,” Bradley said.

Bradley also said there was significant damage to the Brackens building in Midland Plaza. Repair to Midland Plaza gas leak was held up by delays in contacting store managers to get keys to the building.

Kewanee Mayor Gary Moore released an online statement about the damage.

“We understand everyone will be anxious to get things cleaned up. Please be patient with our crews as they begin placing barricades, clearing streets, moving downed trees and limbs, and working with utility companies to restore statements,” Moore said.

“We ask that you stay off the roads if possible, and stay far away from any downed lines. Keep an eye on the [city’s] page and website for updates as they are available.”

The National Weather Service had placed the risk level of the storm at a 3 out of 5, but on Monday evening, the OEM stated that the risk level has been raised to 4. Not since the spring of 2023, when a tornado tore through the west and northwest sections of Kewanee have residents seen the kind of devastation left in a storm’s aftermath.

The Kewanee Voice will continue to update readers on the developing story. Check our website and Facebook page for additional information over the next few days.

***Susan DeVilder and Mike Berry contributed to this article.