That is news I did NOT want to hear, Tiggy. I'm here in Springfield too, managed to escape the worst of it (although have a flooded basement).
Have to give credit to the local talk radio WMAY - they were on all night when no one else was and was our only lifeline to news and warnings.
Gonna stock up tomorrow again, hope they're wrong about the supercells.
Wabash, Dirkson and I think Parkway Pointe in springfield got hit, I heard Pittsfield, Mechanicsburg (sp?) and Woodson all got hit, there may be more, but those were the towns my Grandfather in St. Louis MO called us about last night before we ran into our basement with the cats and our emergency bags.
Yes.....Alas I am enough of a dork to have recognized the clouds and packed emergency bags at 11 AM yesterday. Everyone on Tornado Alley should have their emergency bags packed up and ready to be grabbed and taken to their basements where they should gather around the central support pole or in the safest corner. We get around the central support pole because we figure that if the house comes down we're next to......well the central support pole! Self explanatory, that.
Yeah stocking up on supplies sounds like a good idea everyone. Just don't go ape and buy the entire sporting goods section. Be like the people in J'ville and surrounding small towns. When I lived there, springfield never seemed to get hit, but we did! Just have the emergency bag(s) ready to go and go online and dig up some info on storms and clouds and such. That way, you can tell for yourself when a storm is brewin'.
All I know, is that I knew a supercell was over us before the weatherman could even figure it out. If you see a big dark red blob over your town and it is supercell-ish in appearance, chances are, you've got a supercell!
Like I said, go online and educate yourself. It's really thrilling to be self-sufficient at least a little when it comes to bad storms. If you see a storm headed your way, don't go out to the stores! For Pete's Sake people! You should have all this stuff ready! If its like this in Central Illinois, I feel for the people in Kansas and the like.
*giggles* Twister (the movie) is coming alive in Central IL! EEP!
Stay Safe
Tiggy
PS sorry....have a tendency to ramble about stuff like this!