A tornado ravaged the Route 66 town of Williamsville, Ill., on Wednesday afternoon, destroying or damaging at least two dozen homes and businesses. No loss of life has been reported so far.
One of the casualties is the Route 66 Antique Mall (photo of the damage is here). According to the Springfield Journal-Register:
Jack Caldwell, one of five owners Williamsville Route 66 Antique Mall, said it appears that in the tornado touched down first in a cornfield just directly west of his building.
Two employees were in the one-story building of Interstate 55 as the storm approached. They sought shelter in a closet.
“And the only area that’s standing is an office, a break room and the closet,” Caldwell said in a phone interview. […]
The mall, which houses about antique 100 dealers, is nearing its 10-year anniversary, opening in Nov. 1, 2000.
As he stood near the rubble that remained, he said it was too soon to say what was next.
Also damaged were a convenience store and the Williamsville Christian church. Two motorcyclists were hurt when they were blown off the road by the twister.
More photos of the damage can be seen at the City of Williamsville Web site.
Here’s a short video from the Journal-Register:
The Bloomington Pantagraph also reports nine homes damaged near the Route 66 town of Elkhart, including one that had its front ripped off.
UPDATE: Vendors of the Route 66 Antiques Mall are sifting through the remains to see whether any of their merchandise is salvageable. The mall’s owners haven’t decided whether to rebuild.
UPDATE2: Damage to Williamsville has been estimated at $10 million.
We were visiting the antique mall the saturday before and saw many beautiful things. Many priceless items.I purchased some glass bowls and love them. So sad to hear of this.We were planning on stopping next yr on our way back from vacation. Hope they rebuild.