Published: May 30, 2008 08:58 pm      

Storms hit area; no major damage

DANVILLE — Heavy winds and rain blanketed the Danville area Friday night, but preliminary indications are there was no major damage.

Aqua Illinois workers who monitor the local rainfall reported 1.8 inches from 6 to 8:30 p.m. Friday.

“We have some power lines down and some flash flooding,” said Ted Fisher, director of the Vermilion County Emergency Management Agency.

His office had unconfirmed reports of the roof being blown off the grain elevator at East Lynn.

A spokeswoman for the Hoopeston Police Department said a railroad gate was blown down along with some tree limbs.

Tornado sirens were sounded in the southern part of the county when a swirling rotation was reported at 6:59 p.m. 8 miles west of Georgetown.

Several places in the south part of the county, including Illinois Route 1, reported water over the road.

Danville’s first Cellular One Sounds Concert at Temple Plaza was cut short. Officials stopped the concert after about a half hour when the skies darkened and it began to rain.

Fisher had spotters throughout the county monitoring the skies.

“There was a steady steam (of high winds) from the Homer-Allerton area across the southern part of the county,” he said. “We have just minor stuff so far.”