Some area residents spent the day Tuesday cleaning up storm debris after high winds late Monday and early Tuesday knocked down trees, causing serious damage in some cases. KCCI reported wind gusts up to 42 mph and 1.58 inches of rain in the storm in Jefferson. Volunteer weather observer John Beltz reported 1.63 inches of rain. Stories were told of rain gauges showing more than 2 inches of rain.
The Jefferson police department reported four vehicles damaged by trees falling on them. Three of them were parked at the home of Alex and Pam Hamilton in the 300 block of N. Locust St, just two blocks from the courthouse square.
According to the JPD daily report, homeowner Melanie Wahl of 304 N. Locust reported at 12:36 am that a tree had fallen on her neighbor’s cars and possibly her house. The large tree was broken off about five feet above the ground and fallen due south toward the Hamiltons’ driveway at 302 N. Locust. The first vehicle was a 1998 Buick LeSabre that sustained an estimated $2,000 in damage to the hood. The second was a 2000 Saturn SL2. The roof of the car was crushed; damage was estimated at $3,000, a total loss. The third vehicle was a 2005 Dodge Neon, which also had a crushed roof. Damage was estimated at $5,000, a total loss.
The Hamiltons’ house fared better than their vehicles. Damage to the rain gutter on the east side of the house wad estimated at $1,000, but the JPD officers did not note further damage to the roof.
Just 20 minutes later, at 12:56 am, a resident reported a tree had fallen on a vehicle in the 500 block of W. Lincoln Way. The tree was in the yard of Duane and Brenda Onken. It fell and damaged the hood, door and windshield of their Dodge Journey, which was parked in the street. The officers estimated damage to the vehicle at $4,000.
At 3 am an Alliant Energy employee who lives in Jefferson alerted the LEC of a low hanging branch in the 700 block of S. Elm St. An officer contacted the Iowa Department of Transportation as Elm Street is a state highway. The branch was removed without mishap.
At 5:45 Monday, JPD officers and the fire department provided traffic control in the 300 block of S. Vine St when a tree broke off and fell onto power lines. Alliant Energy arrived and removed the tree.
A Jefferson city employee was called out after a tree fell into the roadway in the 100 block of N. West St. at 10:10 pm Monday. An officer provided traffic control until the city employee cleared a lane of travel.
