LAKE OF THE OZARKS, Mo. — Strong storms blew through the Lake area on Thursday evening, leaving property damaged, trees down, and some residents without power for several hours.
AmerenMissouri spokesperson Jeff Trammel reported an approximate total of 1,000 people were without power due to lighting strikes in the Osage Beach area on Thursday evening. Prewitt’s Point shopping center—which includes HyVee, Target, Lowes and many other retail stores—was one area affected by the lighting strikes that left more than 800 customers without power from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. Lightning also brought down a power-line on Route D at Oak Bend and Blue Ridge Road, where Trammel reported another 121 customers lost power at 6 p.m., and some were without it until 7 a.m. on Friday.
Strong storms blew through the Lake area on Thursday evening, leaving property damaged, trees down, and some residents without power for several hours.
photo by Nathan Bechtold
Morgan County 911 Emergency Director Rick Bias reports 60 mph straight line winds tore through north downtown Versailles after 5 p.m. The winds ripped multiple large trees out of the ground, causing roof and property damage to nearby homes. Damage to billboards, powerlines and automobiles were also reported.
Strong storms blew through the Lake area on Thursday evening, leaving property damaged, trees down, and some residents without power for several hours.
photo by Janet Dabbs
“We are estimating approximately $75,000 in damages were caused by last night’s storm,” Bias said. Along with the high winds, hard rain, flooding and golf ball to baseball size hail struck the area.
Strong storms blew through the Lake area on Thursday evening, leaving property damaged, trees down, and some residents without power for several hours.
photo by Janet Dabbs
The National Weather Service issued a severe thunderstorm warning moving north towards Versailles at 5:15 p.m., with reported 60 mph wind gusts and quarter size hail.
Versailles City Fire Department Fire Chief Duane Miller reported the bulk of the damage happened from Washington Street in Versailles, north to Walnut Street and it stretched to the area by Weavers Tire.
Strong storms blew through the Lake area on Thursday evening, leaving property damaged, trees down, and some residents without power for several hours.
photo by Janet Dabbs
Downed lines knocked out electrical power, with most of the power to Versailles residents being restored within approximately five hours. A few homes were without power all night, due to the extent of the damage to electric poles.
Strong storms blew through the Lake area on Thursday evening, leaving property damaged, trees down, and some residents without power for several hours.
photo by Janet Dabbs
Versailles resident Dione Guinn was driving in her car in the downtown Versailles area when the storm hit the city. “It started hailing at 5:20 p.m. and I took cover under a gas station awning,” Guinn said. “The wind was crazy, bending good size trees in half. A huge tree at a home by the Versailles Library was ripped out by the roots. I am thankful it didn’t hit the house somebody - could have been killed.”
Other people were not so lucky. “There is debris everywhere,” Guinn added. “There were police cars and ambulances and a lot of neighbors out helping each other last night.” Sales items that were set up on tables under tarps at the outdoor market by McDonalds were tossed around on the fair grounds. “They were thrown up in the air and landed everywhere,” Guinn said.
Versailles city employees are working to pick up downed trees and debris.
Morgan County 911 Emergency also answered a call to a water rescue at approximately 11 p.m. on Hwy BB due to flooding in Gabriel Creek. According to Bias, passersby assisted the motorist to safety before EMS arrived on the scene. “I would not recommend citizens to try that. We might end up having to rescue both of them,” Bias warned. He reminds travelers not to cross low water crossings when there is water over the road. The Missouri Department of Transportation closed the creek on Thursday but it was reported reopened by Friday morning.
More storms are forecast for central Missouri over the next several days.
