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Severe Storms Wreak Havoc in Illinois QC

WVIK, Quad Cities NPR | By Herb Trix

Published April 4, 2023 at 2:34 PM CDT

storm cleanup at the Belgrade Tavern in Moline closed 16th Street.

The first round of storms did a lot of damage Tuesday morning, mainly in the Illinois Quad Cities. High winds and thunderstorms moved through Rock Island, Moline, and other nearby cities, cutting power, knocking down trees, and damaging buildings.

one of many trees brought down by round 1 of Tuesday's severe storms (15th Street near 25th Avenue in Moline)

When the storm first hit around 10 am, MidAmerican Energy says 20,000 customers lost power, with nearly all of them on the Illinois side. By midday, that number had dropped to 17,000, but moved up to 18,000 by midafternoon.

Wind damage forced the Rock Island County Health Department to close for the day, and several buildings at Augustana College lost power.

Five schools in Rock Island suffered power outages, and closed early, and the rest of the district closed for the day over the noon hour.

The storm also blew the roof off the Belgrade Tavern on 16th Street in Moline, causing the closing of the street so debris could be cleared away.