Centerville, South Dakota – Centerville, a small town, is recovering after being devastated by severe storms on Tuesday night.
Trees had been uprooted, and branches littered the streets and yards, as well as powerlines.
Many people in the Centerville community were out and about, cleaning up yards and collecting branches.
They worked quickly and efficiently because they had to do the same thing the day before.
Centerville was hit with another severe storm on Tuesday, following a destructive storm that passed over southeast South Dakota on Monday.
However, no matter how many times they have to clean up, the community will always assist one another when it counts.
Meteorologists say it’s unusual for a tornado to land twice in the same location.
“The wind and rain. It resembled straight-line winds. I couldn’t see across the street, and then I just heard branches, the street go down, and then there was no power,” said Jacquelynn Skotvold, a Centreville resident.
Centerville experienced a second night of high winds and storms.
“Normally, I enjoy thunderstorms, but last night they became a little too scary for me. The sky is turning green, along with the wind and rain. “I was a little nervous,” admitted Centerville resident Michele Bendt.
When it came to cleanup, the community experienced deja vu.
“I think it was 7:00 last night I took my last load and I think I took 13 loads to the site in town and just gone in and showered and got cleaned up and was ready to hit the hay and the next one started right away and it doesn’t even look like I touched my yard,” commented Skotvold.
Many residents reported that Monday night’s storm had less of an impact on them, but Tuesday night’s caused trees to be blown down.
“For me, it was more powerful than the night before. I mean, we had trees down the night before, but the number of larger trees that have fallen is insane,” said Skotvold.
There have also been power outages.
“I heard a big pop, then there was a big spark in front of my house here, and then theirs a big branch on my garage and partially on my house,” according to Bendt.
However, the community is confident that no matter how many times they must clean up, they will complete the task one branch at a time.
“We’ll be okay, the town is a very close-knit town, and we’re just thankful no one was hurt,” Skotvold told reporters.
Many people in the community took the day off from work to help out and clean up the city, allowing them to return to a state of calm.
