Published on June 17, 2026 10:47 pm
Last Updated on June 18, 2026 9:27 am
(THANKS TO KERRY HIRTZEL FOR THIS PHOTO OF THE TORNADO THAT VISITED THE SHUMWAY AREA AROUND 8PM WEDNESDAY)
Effingham County and the Effingham area were visited by powerful storms Wednesday night.
The first storm visited the area around 8pm and the second one around 9:15pm. The first storm contained a confirmed tornado that visited Shumway and Teutopolis and the Montrose area, but homes and businesses were damaged throughout the area.
Thankfully, there were no reports of any serious injuries.
Emergency services and law enforcement personnel were out in the area, checking damage reports and double checking as to the welfare of those who suffered storm damage.
Effingham Fire Department Chief Brant Yochum said the Effingham Fire Department responded to numerous storm-related emergencies, primarily in the Shumway and Sigel areas, while numerous other agencies throughout Effingham County simultaneously managed incidents within their jurisdictions and provided assistance where needed. Crews responded to reports of heavily damaged homes, collapsed structures, motor vehicle crashes, downed power lines, gas leaks, blocked roadways, and other hazardous conditions resulting from the storm. Firefighters conducted searches of damaged structures, assisted residents, mitigated immediate hazards, and worked closely with utility companies and other responding agencies to ensure public safety. Several individuals sustained minor injuries within the Effingham Fire Department’s response area; however, no life-threatening injuries were reported in the areas served by Effingham Fire Department crews. Yochum also reported that no Effingham Fire Department personnel were injured during response operations.
Significant damage was done at the farms of Norbert and Delbert Soltwedel near the Routes 32/33 junction northwest of Effingham. Norbert Soltwedel said this morning their home is standing but the farm outbuildings are a loss.
Here are a couple of photos of that area, courtesy of Scott Ealy…
and from Mike Kirchhoff…
Teutopolis Fire Protection District Chief Tim McMahon reports that damage in that fire district began with damage at Buhnerkempe Plumbing and Heating north of Teutopolis. McMahon said the roof was taken off the business. Bruce and Jill Buhnerkempe live by the business and their personal shed was taken off its foundation, and their house was severely damaged. The storm crossed the road and took out another house, then took down the buildings at Esker and Walker Concrete Construction. The storm then moved to Funneman Subdivision where trees were knocked over onto houses. As the storm moved to the south side of the interstate, a house was damaged. It then crossed a field and leveled Meier Dairy Farm. A couple of houses and a house trailer were next impacted with the trailer being taken out and the roof taken off a house. The storm then went through fields and did damage to Meyer Mini-Storage east of Teutopolis. During the journey, the storm took the top floor off a house, throwing debris into the gas substation, shutting down Route 40 in that area for several hours. That house is where the crash occurred in recent years that resulted in the leak of anhydrous ammonia and caused deaths and injuries. The storm also visited 2100th Street and 1500th Avenue, where it picked up a house then threw it down on the roadway. There were people inside the house at the time, and McMahon said two people inside were taken for treatment of injuries.
Dieterich Fire Protection District Chief Ross Martin reported a hog barn was damaged northeast of Island Grove, but he was not aware of any injuries in his area. The system went north of the Lutheran church located along the blacktop north of Dieterich and into Jasper County.
Anyone who needs assistance due to damage and lives in rural parts of Effingham County can contact County EMA Director Pam Jacobs at 217-500-9612. Anyone in the city of Effingham who needs assistance can contact City EMA Director Larry Thies at City Hall.
We have received reports of significant storm damage in Charleston, particularly in the area near Coles County Fairgrounds. Eastern Illinois University is closed today due to the storm damage.
We have videos and photos of damage from the storms online and on our Facebook page.
