A small tornado damaged several structures along Business 21 in Hillsboro early Tuesday morning (March 7), including Hillsboro High School’s athletic stadium, the Hillsboro Community Civic Club and the Family Services Department’s Resource Center.
The National Weather Service reported Thursday (March 9) storm damage at various locations in the city of Hillsboro was caused by a tornado.
Weather officials say the tornado, an EF0 that can produce 65-85 mph winds, touched down near Hillsboro High School at about 12:39 a.m. March 7. It traveled about 1.2 miles on a path 75 yards wide, with winds up to 80 mph.
Treetops were sheared off where the tornado touched down, and the twister moved across the football field, tossing the top row of bleachers into fences and across the school’s track and football field as far as 300 feet, according to the National Weather Service report.
As bleachers traveled across the field, they poked holes in the track and ripped up turf and damaged the underlay of the football field, Superintendent Aaron Cornman said. At one point, a goal post pierced the football field and traveled several feet under the turf. Shingles from the concession stand roof were torn off, and equipment on the field was also damaged.
“Practice soccer goals, hurdles, mats around the pole vaulting pit were all damaged,” he said.
Damage to the equipment on the field was estimated at $70,000, and the football field and track damage had not yet been estimated, Cornman said today (March 10).
In addition to the equipment, the track and the football field, there also was damage to the high school roof.
“There were holes in the rubber membrane of the roof, and the flashing and guttering were torn off,” Cornman said. “We’re meeting with the insurance company on Monday.”
The district already relocated one sporting event, a girls soccer jamboree on March 9, which was held at Seckman High School, activities director Edward Moreno said.
Hillsboro’s track program and the girls’ soccer program will still use the field and track for practice. Damaged areas have been coned off until they can be repaired, he said.
Moreno said students can still practice in the stadium, “but we just can’t host right now.” He said he didn’t know of any specific events coming up that may have to be moved or rescheduled.
“We’ll adjust accordingly as we move forward,” Moreno said.
The tornado then swept through the Hillsboro Community Civic Club grounds, where it uprooted numerous trees and caused major roof damage to several buildings, including barns and small outbuildings. The storm also tossed debris as far as 200 feet around the grounds, according the report.
Doug Goforth, civic club board member and Jefferson County Fair chairman, said damage to the buildings and grounds was mostly in the rear of the property.
“The main buildings didn’t have much damage, but the barns did suffer a lot of destruction,” he said. “We had severe roof damage to two barns, and on the third barn, which is used by the Cattleman’s Association, poles were pulled up.”
Goforth said the club members are not sure whether those barns will be replaced. The barns are no longer used for overnight stabling, but were used by the club and Cattleman’s Association during the Jefferson County Fair to house cattle and hold their annual auction and dinner. They were also used as shelter during the rodeo and for 4-H activities, horseshoe pitching and storage in the off season, Goforth said.
“It’s sad to lose the barns. They were built back in the 1950s. In fact, my father helped build them,” he said.
Club officials are still investigating whether the structures were covered by insurance, Goforth said.
After sweeping through the civic club grounds, the tornado made its way to the Family Services Department’s Resource Center, 10325 Business 21, where it damaged the roof and tossed insulation into the trees, according to the report.
The tornado then crossed the highway, “topping more trees and causing minor roof damage to a number of homes on Micah Lane. The tornado dissipated near Lake Wauwanoka Road,” according to the report.