Long Creek Residents Rally Together After Devastating Tornado Strikes

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LONG CREEK, Ill. – Residents of Long Creek were met with a scene of destruction on Monday morning after a powerful EF-2 tornado, accompanied by winds reaching 120 miles per hour, tore through their neighborhood the previous night. The storm left many without homes, yet the community is counting its blessings that no one was injured during the tumultuous event.

The full extent of the tornado’s impact became apparent in the light of day, revealing a landscape of devastation that left many residents in shock. Despite the overwhelming damage, the shared sentiment among those affected is one of gratitude for their safety.

Stephanie Leevy, who lives in the area, recounted her experience on that fateful Sunday. She had been relaxing in her living room, enjoying the breeze blowing through the open front door, when the situation changed dramatically in mere moments.

However, everything changed in a blink of an eye.

“Next thing I know, a big gust of wind, this rain comes, it rips off our screen door,” Leevey said. “So, I run straight there to try and shut the big door, and it’s like pulling me out of the house, from like this suction of the wind. So, my son had to come over and help me get the door shut, and I’m just scared, just screaming, needing help because I was getting pulled out. It was unreal, it was terrifying.”

Her house had minimal damage, but they spent all day Monday cleaning up trees and debris.

Leevey added that many of her other neighbors were not as lucky, like her grandma who lives down the road. Her garage is gone, and she had damage to her home as well.

Leevey’s uncle and aunt were with her grandma when the tornado came through. Her uncle, Corey Smith, said that he was checking in on his 84-year-old mother-in-law.

They heard the sirens, Smith said, and then the power went out. That’s when he knew they needed to get in the hallway, and just as they did, the tornado hit their home.

“We normally just hang out in the front room, and we check on my mother-in-law a couple times a day, and we happened to be here. In that front room, if we’d been there when the storm came through, the front room is covered in shattered glass, and debris blew through that front window. So, it would’ve been bad, but we’re all safe and things can be replaced, but it’s still a shock,” Smith said.

He also said there is still a lot of clean-up to do, and there will be some long days ahead. For now, he’s just grateful they were in the right place at the right time to help his mother-in-law.

WCIA asked the Macon County EMA how many people were displaced Sunday night and how many homes were determined a total loss, but they have not heard back yet.