Survey team checking for storm damage in southwest Illinois, National Weather Service says

A team was surveying parts of southwestern Illinois on Sunday to check for damages from severe thunderstorms that moved through the region Saturday, according to the National Weather Service in St. Louis.

Team members were scheduled to start Sunday morning in Hecker, then look for damages in Belleville, Collinsville and St. Jacob.

A second team was doing the same on the Missouri side of the Mississippi, starting in Valley Park, about 20 miles southwest of St. Louis.

The storms triggered tornado and severe thunderstorm warnings across the region, leading to power outages and downed trees.

“There are many lines down throughout the county this evening,” the St. Clair County Emergency Management Agency said in a Facebook post Saturday night. “Crews are working quickly to restore power to as many as possible.”

This story was originally published April 16, 2023 at 11:01 AM.