EMA Director: Cleanup Going Well
</element><element id="paragraph-1" type="body"><![CDATA[Perry County EMA Coordinator David Searby Jr. told the County Board that a total of 58 structures were damaged by storms Tuesday evening. A survey team from the National Weather Service will determine whether it was a tornado or just high winds that caused the damage.
County Board Chairman Bobby Kelly declared a disaster immediately after the storm, allowing Searby to activate mutual aid agreements within the county, region and state to begin clean-up.
Perry County Sheriff's Deputies aided with assessments after the storm and the Perry County Highway Department worked with Du Quoin Street Department to clear debris.
Tuesday's storm was the only the second time that the state-wide mutual aid agreement has been put to use. Personnel from Franklin and Randolph Counties assisted with the clean-up and teams from across the state were put on standby.
Ameren was working to restore power and planned to close their emergency operations center Thursday.
Searby warned that there is the potential for severe weather Friday evening, as well.
After Searby had left to get back to work, Pete Doerr told the Board that felt the County Highway Department should have been used to clear County and Unit Road District roads before working in Du Quoin. He particularly objected to county crews clearing debris from the park in Du Quoin.
Commissioner Sam Robb said that he would pass along Doerr's concerns, but suspected there was a priority list in place for clearing debris.