OTTAWA, Ill. — When you look around Ottawa, it’s almost like it didn’t happen — almost. But upon closer inspection, there are tell tale signs that an EF-3 tornado, packing winds up to 165 miles per hour and baseball-sized hail, passed through the area just a year ago. That night, with the electricity cut off,…
Naplate gives thanks, nine months after tornado
Nine months after a tornado ripped through tiny Naplate, Ill., smashing houses to rubble in a few terrifying seconds, the town’s stuttering recovery was summed up one recent morning by the happenings on 19th Avenue. On one side of the street, Nick Brandt watched as a crane carefully lowered the two halves of his factory-built…