Fifteen years ago today the Derecho hit our region. MJ and I were working at Southern Illinois University in Carbondale and had seen many storms. This was different. I was talking with my Director Phil Gatton and he remarked that I might want to go to the basement with many of the staff in his building due to the storm that was just beginning. I smiled and valiantly told him that I was not afraid of storms as I had once stood at the door of our little four-room house in Elkville and watched a massive tree uprooted and laid on its side. As I started to exit the building I noticed that the air handler in front of my office was dancing about as if it weighed nothing. I decided to go down to the basement.

Wind can be a terribly destructive force. May 8th 15 years ago was Commencement on the Campus of SIUC. A college had already begun their ceremony when the Derecho hit. Large old trees were uprooted like matchsticks across Campus. Chaos and confusion reigned as we began to assess what had happened. Chancellor Sam Goldman was a rock during the turmoil. When the decision was made to attempt to clean McAndrew Stadium to facilitate the Saturday Commencements as there was no electricity Sam asked me if our housekeeping staff could do it and I assured him we would give it our best effort. I vividly recall my dear friends Elizabeth and Ryan busily cleaning the bleachers with Elizabeth holding a flashlight for Ryan to see. Sam who recently passed away said that he considered Building Services cleaning of the Stadium under the most difficult of circumstances to be the best lesson in a Campus group working together to accomplish a purpose that he had seen.

We had over 27 thousand dollars to our house. I am home from the Woods today as I have learned to respect Storms on May 8th…

So today we have the highest severe weather warning that we have had in a year. Is it just a coincidence or is it fate…