Tornado Season has begun.

On Thursday ( April 9th, 2015) a strong line of storms ripped thru the Midwest bringing in a very powerful entrance to the storm season.  Of the many communities hit with a complete life changing moment was that of folks living in Rochelle, IL.

Located a few miles away, Davis Junction was also rumored to have taken a hit.  Initially I had confused towns which later I found today by driving to the town and finding I was thinking of " Davis, IL".  I was able to jog over from Davis into the Rochelle area and while fact remains I have in fact been to Rochelle; I sadly never really took much of a look at it.

My initial thinking was also Rochelle was a large city... turns out it was a small little village like town made of a few businesses and homes.  None the less; the town size does not lessen the inpact of the tornado that went thru on Thursday and leveled 90% of the town. As the snippet above shows.. the storm took 2 lives and was rated as a EF4... much like using a leaf blower to dust off an end table.

Below are some photos from my trip to Rochelle, IL. You might ask why I would travel over 2 hours to a town that has been leveled.  The answer is possibly one most don't think about or would laugh at; but honestly... because I wanted to see this town.  There is a very real reality check seeing the true power of nature and that is true be it watching a tornado in person from a safe distance, seeing it's aftermath, or even on a less destructive form as watching rain fill a river.  We are simply a part of the landscape nature paints in and at times... Nature changed her mind on how something looks...  or wishes to create a change.  We are everyday expanding our presence into nature and with that comes a very real cost of creating our world in the path of Nature's whims and decided changes.

I also feel that as we grow and "progress" in society.. we are becoming further in tune with the idea of ownership and material need.  We are always getting and some are not finding appreciation of the things we get or just don't plan on ever losing things and so we take it for granted.  I'm just as guilty...

These events take from people; usually those who are very much at the edge of society as they work to the bone for what they have and even then... get used to having basics like a home and seeing the environment on a daily look as the same every day.  Victims of a tornado have a 2-10 minute rush of panic and fear... in the end... they walk out to find the very comfort they subconsciously expect and take for granted gone... They find they can see at times past what should be blocks of homes... basically looking out on a flat land of rubble.

That feeling and realization is chilling to me... I cannot ever imagine having that moment in my life and pray it never happens.  However I find that very feeling could also be a valuable snap to reality of life... and visiting such a place where people are confronted with these feelings and events... is much like a second-hand lesson.  If you take a true day to walk and witness the people effected and feel the sadness and shock.. see the kind of damage created by what is literally just a grinding wheel of wind.

When you stand in a war-zone of nature and human life...  you are easily reset in your mind and soul of just how quickly simple things like home and clothes and a surrounded town can be ripped away.  If you cannot feel that or feel no sadness.. your soul has long since darkened and you are most likely in  need of serious guidance.

Without to much more talk and lip flapping; the images I took in Rochelle, IL.

Clean-Up work being done in the field with a front digger

Far view of Rochelle, IL from IL HWY 251

Remains of a rather large house/building on intersection 

Tree damage and the 10% of the town still in tact... aka the red roofed house

More of the trees and me trying to get a shot behind me of the farm/intersection

The trees that separated the field areas are snapped and equipment ruined

The lone house again from other side of the road

The tornado's path per say.  Distant shots of the entire red roofed house's farm damage

following path still, now more middle shot, previous was far left

And then the rest on the right. Fun side-note; almost rolled my car getting into this spot. Miss-judged the shoulder slope

I had telephoto lens with me too, so same spot.. just zoned in to the details of the house

Can you find all the farm equipment? 

I think that was once a barn.. or large shed.

That storage bin I think had corn in it as the road was littered with corn husk pieces. Also note that the truck trailer seems untouched. 

These round hay bales tried to bail... I don't think they made it.

More work on clean-up.  Getting all the hay and sheet metal out of the field.  in BG you can see that destroyed house/business again

Theres a Youtube video in which you see what looks to be the tornado going over a farm... that doesn't come back out the other side... I think this was the farm.

Detailed view of the farm that was.  It took basically the direct hit

Thats all the photos I got.  https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=10204271837059528  This video from Facebook by Dave Walker ( i found it from the Reed Timmer Facebook) shows at 3:00 in the farm getting eaten.  Advance warning of swearing near end of video.

I didn't get photos of the downtown area beyond the larger building/house as there was alot more people there trying to cleanup and make sense of it all.  My intention was to observe and not be in the way or make these folks feel like an attraction.  Unlike MOST media out there... I feel these people have enough going on and don't need people making circus monkey's out of them by taking photos or video taping them with dumb questions like " what happened?" and " what will you do now?" or the ever fun " How do/did you feel?".

If you ever do visit a town like this of any size and decide to walk around actually being more immersed and basically more in the way... then roll your sleeves up and ask the only real acceptable question to someone going thru this event... " How can I help?".   Picking up sheet metal and 2x4's is a much more telling action than shoving a microphone in someone's face.

I hope everyone enjoyed this post... at least the message I had with it... the actual images and realities of it all are not of enjoyment, but sadness and jaw dropping.  Keep safe and be aware this storm season.  It is already started and depending where you live... you may have more visits from storms yet to come.