ST. CHARLES COUNTY, Mo. — Severe weather clean-up didn’t stop when the sun went down, Saturday night. Dalton Schmidt was working on his parents’ property.
“We got pretty lucky,” said Schmidt. “Just a bunch of trees down, couple on our fence, but nothing damaged on our house, or anything like that. No barns damaged, nothing like that.”
All that is left of the home Rich Vance shared with his wife, Marsha, is the foundation. The two took cover in the basement when the storm hit, and hit hard, Friday night.
Vance said, “Obviously the house is gone, but there are personal items – wedding albums, that kind of stuff – that we’re trying to find. Plus, some work-related items.”
Next door, another house was blown off its foundation. There, at the intersection of Highway F and Stub Road, first-responders said an 84-year-old husband and wife were both blown out of the house and onto nearby property. Relatives say the woman later died from her injuries.
St. Charles County Executive Steve Ehlmann said, “When the sirens go off, go to your basement. Because that’s all that’s left of this house is the basement.”
New Melle Fire Chief Dan Casey said in one case, a barn collapsed, trapping one person and five horses inside.
“That was a large rescue operation. We had to get those horses out of there. We did have two horses perish, and three were taken to a veterinary hospital," Casey said.
Ehlmann said crews are inspecting homes that were damaged to make sure they are safe for residents to re-enter. As many as 25 houses were damaged in St. Charles County.