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EDWARDSVILLE - Edwardsville was in cleanup mode Monday morning with some serious tree and line damage done by high winds as part of a strong thunderstorm that hit around 3:30 a.m. Sunday.
Tree damage was extensive in Edwardsville. Two of the hardest hit areas were the Leclaire and Grandview parts of the city, Matt Taul, Edwardsville superintendent of streets, said.
Edwardsville Public Works employees were out through the early morning hours to late Sunday night, then back out at dawn Monday working to clean up the trees. The Public Works Department did an excellent job clearing the streets and roads Sunday, Taul said.
“They worked all day clearing roads to make safe passages throughout the city,” Taul said of the city workers. “Both East and West of Troy Road in Edwardsville were hit very hard.”
Some businesses were without power on Monday morning and closed in Edwardsville and many residents began their day without electricity. The ongoing hum of several generators could be heard in certain Edwardsville neighborhoods running to provide needed electricity. Some street lights were not operating in the morning, either, because of the power shutdown.
Taul said he believes this will be a long week for Public Works employees and he estimates there could be a few weeks of work to continue clean up the city from the storm.
Ameren and independent contractor trucks were visible throughout Edwardsville early in the day, repairing lines.
Kim Eheret, of Edwardsville, and her husband were out working hard Sunday night, trimming up and stacking limbs.
“My husband woke me up when he heard both trees fall,” she said. “When I saw there was no damage to the house it wasn’t as bad. We still have a house to live in; I can handle the rest.”
The Edwardsville YMCA Esic Center was closed Monday morning and residents were being directed to the Meyer Center. The Y there did offer lap swimming at the Meyer Center from 8 a.m. to 9 a.m. and has many other components of the Esic YMCA. For those who tried to call, the phone system at the Y was not working in the morning, but the Meyer Center was open.
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