Six Months Since Tornado Devastated Illinois Town

Residents in the central Illinois town of Washington are taking stock of how far they’ve come since a tornado devastated their community six months ago – and of how far they still have to go.

The (Bloomington) Pantagraph reports many homes are still being rebuilt. Some people are even still clearing debris.

The Nov. 17 tornado destroyed or damaged more than 1,000 homes. One resident in the town of 15,000 died that day and two others died later.

Less obvious is the lingering psychological damage.

Kris Lancaster was injured when the tornado struck his home. He used to love watching storms but now finds severe weather unnerving.

He says he “freaks out” when trains go by his current home. They remind him of the sound of last fall’s tornado.