Harry Truman was known as “give ‘em hell Harry”. On the 125th anniversary of his birth, spring storms killed three people, threw down trees, tore up roofs, and damaged vehicles across southern Missouri.

A couple was killed near Poplar Bluff, when a tree fell on their Ford Excursion on Rt 53. A couple was lifted into the air for about a hundred feet in Dallas County (Bennett Spring) and the man suffered a fatal heart attack as a result, according to the 5/9 edition of the Southeast Missourian.

Thirteen state parks and historic sites are under full or partial weather closures (presumably for downed trees, although some buildings may have been affected: (check with Castlewood, Elephant Rocks, Dillard Mill, Lake Ozark, Lake Wappapello, Locust Creek Covered Bridge, Onondaga, Prairie, Robertsville, St. Francois, Trail of Tears, Washington or Stockton for the next few days if you have plans to visit. ) It’s likely that other recreational areas in the region have also sustained damage, and that some roads may be impassible.
A call on an unrelated matter to Windy’s Canoe Rental in Eminence on the 8th brought news that the owner was out in town with a chainsaw, helping to re-open some streets. An EF1 tornado (one of three in the area) crossed from Springfield airport, lifting just two miles from Fantastic Caverns, according the Springfield News-Leader, and the Fellows Lake Marina was severely damaged. The Fair Grove and Glendale (Springfield) high schools lost portions of roofs, but no one was severely injured.

We will likely get more reports from Traveler Country… check back later.

This entry was posted on Saturday, May 9th, 2009 at 8:30 pm and is filed under Outdoor News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.