Below are pictures I took around 3:30-5p on the afternoon of July 4th, so some parts of town may have been partially cleaned up already. There are a few additional pictures (like the one above) I took on Wednesday "noonish", July 9th to make this website more detailed after driving around town more. Ironically, I'm putting these pictures after a tornado warning 2 hours ago (around 4-4:25p) after a tornado touchdown 6 miles from Alberta, MN (7 miles west of Morris)!
There has been reports that these storm had wind gusts (straight line winds that are similar to Hurricane wind speed wo/ water) up from 75-90mph, which I witness from my workplace at a group home (Prairie Community Services: Ravenwood Home) that I worked at Thursday evening-Friday morning (sleep night shift @10p-6a, which I didn't get much sleep).
This was probably the worst summer storm I've ever witnessed since I've lived here in 95' as an up-coming freshmen at UMM. I was a little scared, but I had peace inside knowing God was with me and will protect me=>
Note: To View Location of Streets-City Large Map
Sal & Tom's House on Montana Ave. & E. 9th St.
Note: Lightning struck tree, which side of it fell
"...hail fell and lightning flashed back and forth. It was the worst storm in all the land of Egypt since it had become a nation."-Exodus 9:24
Tree fell on a trailer on Columbia & E. 9th St.
Across the Morris Elementary School Aud on Columbia & E.6th St
Truck load of down trees on E.6th between Montana & Columbia Ave
Stevens County Courthouse: Corner of Colorado & E.5th St.
Close look of tree split by the Stevens County Courthouse on E. 5th St. between Montana & Colorado Ave.
Bending Tree south of the Stevens County Courthouse on E. 4th St. between Colorado & Montana Ave.
Storm went the "wrong way" as this Morris resident's yard was hit
Peekabo! Trees surround many residents on E. 4th St. between Columbia & College Ave
Touring the Morris area by bike was probably the easiest way to get through, like this guy going on E. 4th St. by the west entrance of University of Minnesota-Morris Campus
Back view of the UMM west entrance sign on the corner of E. 4th/Martin Luther King Dr. & College Avenue
South entrance view of UMM's Student Center (before picture) along Cougar Circle Dr.
Back (east) of UMM's Social Science bldg
Damaged tree west of the UMM Campus Apts (C)
More damaged trees in front of UMM's Indy Hall
By Indy Hall facing the Regional Fitness Center
"Greenery" area back of the Science Building
I took this picture on Wednesday, July 9th after this past weekend's church softball practice that one of my teammates notice unexpectedly over his head after I remarked about the softball field lights that fallen on the ground next to it.
West Parking Lot (across Plant Services) had fallen trees,like this one, that was going to be picked up on Wednesday's ongoing campus clean-up
Mahyanti Johnson, UMM Student, poses in front of a down tree on the corner of College Ave. & E. 2nd St.
Note: Cable/Phone/Power Lines are laying on the down tree branches behind M.J.
Branches being hauled off by one of the few trucks running during the July 4th holiday-Friday on the same corner of College Ave. & E. 2nd St.
A tree down on Circle Pines Rd.
A tree blocking E. 3rd St. coming out of the on-going contructed Columbia Ave
Long view along E. 4th St. from the hill view on Montana Ave going as far to Atlantic Ave-Main St.
Half of tree along E. 2nd St. between Atlantic & Oregon Ave
Scattered trees by the steps of the Assumption Catholic Church entrance on E. 3rd St. between Colorado & California Ave
One of several fences damaged in-town that is located across the Stevens County Courthouse along Colorado Ave between E.4th & 5th St.
Power, phone, and cable outages were all over town. This Media.com cable company truck stops over in the alley of a house north of Colorado Ave. between E. 7th & 6th
Note: Some houses got their electricity back early as 5am (or ealier) and late as the following morning (I got my electricity sometime before 11pm on Friday, which I had to store my refrigerated food at one of my friend's house-ice cream melting!)
Southeast corner view of the "forestry" covered East Side Park. One of the park's swingsets were half-damaged by a fallen tree, which I wasn't able to take a picture of.
Wells Park Baseball/Softball Fields-Big tree
This tree is blocking a street along ther corner of Sunnyslope Dr. & Park Lane
Yield to damaged trees by Park Ave!
Leaning tree that fell by Crystal Lake
Unfortunate tree planting by the Kiwanis Sign along Crystal Lake
more....
"Ask the LORD for rain in the springtime; it is the LORD who makes the storm clouds. He gives showers of rain to men, and plants of the field to everyone."-Zechariah 10:1
One of many big trees that fell at Pomme De Terre Park
Also, one of many big trees that got lifted and uprooted
Along the parking lot
more...
The city of Morris did a great job cleaning up the city in the next "normal" workday on Monday and after. These pictures are for people who just came back after the storm, which one may not notice there was one after this whole clean-up.
As you view the many pictures of property damages, one must be thankful that no lives were lost. Property, such as trees, house, cars, etc.. may have been damaged from the storm and can be replaced; however, human lives cannot be replaced.
I thank God that this storm didn't take any lives and that this storm could've been worse (eg. the tornado that hit Buffalo Lake, MN last week).
We work hard all of our lives to buy "materialistic" gifts to treat ourselves, but in the end all this goes away after we die=>
"Naked I came from my mother's womb, and naked I will depart. [ 1:21 Or [ will return there ] ] The LORD gave and the LORD has taken away; may the name of the LORD be praised."-Job 1:21
THANK YOU: Tim Mitchell (owner of digital camera to take these pictures), Brett and Cory Mangan, who took the pictures of Pomme de Terre & west-side of Morris respectively. Great job!
Please contact me of any personal stories, testimonies, shares, etc... on this storm experience that you would like to include down below=>
I apologize for some of these pictures that are permanently fully "unnoticeable" due to technical difficulties or errors that occurred in transferring from the digital camer to this website.
There are some pictures that I took that I didn't put here. Let me know of any pictures here that I can e-mail you. Contact me at the above information on any questions or anything about this website.
"I have no idea where my garbage cans are now, which were blown away. While some light plastic objects were never moved from my property"-E. 5th St. Morris resident
"I would hurry to my place of shelter, far from the tempest and storm."-Psalm 55:8
"My neighbor and I went to the basement (duplex) and heard trees crackling and the hard down pour rain, which we were scared. We got a Bible to read to give us peace and comfort during the storm" (paraphrase)-E. 3rd St. Morris resident
"His thunder announces the coming storm; even the cattle make known its approach"-Job 36:33
"I was called in around 12 midnight by the Fire Department to tour the city of Morris to make sure everything was all right in the middle of the storm."-Volunteer Firefighter
"I found my rubarbs blown the opposite way of the direction of the trees that fell (eastward), which goes along with what other people feel of a close tornado touch down"-Clontarf (farm site 9 miles south of Morris) resident
"I was sleeping the whole time"-basement resident along Montana Ave.
"Without warning, a furious storm came up on the lake, so that the waves swept over the boat. But Jesus was sleeping."-Matthew 8:24
"A tree just nearly fell on my car...only 2 inches..praise God"-Lutheran Campus Ministry House Resident
(picture will be provided soon)
