For the second night in a row, funnel clouds were spotted over south-central Iowa and one may’ve touched down last night in Decatur County near the town of Decatur City. A construction site there was ravaged. Oscar Vaal, plant manager for Norris Asphalt Paving Company, says two workers spent the night on the worksite.
The workers were in campers and one camper was shoved 30 feet and had the back end torn off, while the other camper was bent badly. Vaal says neither worker was hurt, but they were shaken up. The campers weren’t the only damage at the site either. He said there was a lot of tree damage and the windows were knocked out of some vehicles. When workers discovered the damage, they also ran across a potentially dangerous situation, according to Vaal.
A power line fell across three dump trucks. The pole was safely cleared by utility workers. Vaal says the dump trucks and cars have proof that they were hit by gravel and dirt at a very high speed. He says if you run your hand along the side of the vehicles that was facing the wind, the paint now feels like sandpaper.
Vaal couldn’t provide a total estimate of damage, but is glad everybody is safe. He says the main concern now for the company is getting the truck windows fixed so they can finish their construction project on State Highway 2. The construction site was located at the Decatur Quarry.