LINCOLN COUNTY, Mo. – It wasn’t a tornado, but high winds that left heavy damage in parts of Lincoln County.
Some residents are cleaning up the mess that Mother Nature left. From lighting to strong winds, the most significant damage is a home on Elm Tree Road, just off Route C.
Homeowner Walt Humburg was inside when his roof was ripped off. He said his furniture and other items started flying.
“My ears popped, and the next thing I know, the roof lifted off. I did not understand what was going on,” Humburg said. “I thought it was a tornado. I come running into the kitchen, and you could look up and see stars in the sky and branches, and that’s not what you see in your kitchen.”
Outside Humburg’s home, his carport and fencing were also heavily damaged.
“It woke me up out of my sleep. I ran down the hallway, and the roof was gone in the kitchen,” said Steve Cooper, Humburg’s nephew. “My sister and I jumped in the tub with the dogs, it was crazy.”
His family said they were just glad they made it out alive.
“The dogs are safe, my parents are safe, and that’s all that matters,” said Kaitlyn Brooks,” Humburg’s daughter. “The house can be replaced, family can’t.”
Wind gusts between 50 and 60 miles per hour, according to the director of Lincoln County Emergency Management, were what caused the damage. There was no severe thunderstorm.
Humburg said those winds got stronger and stronger and kept building. Some trees and power lines were downed as well. Fortunately, no injuries were reported.
