St. Mary Beginning Long Road To Recovery

By MARK EVANS

STE. GENEVIEVE HERALD

Power was restored to most, if not all St. Mary residents by Oct. 27, as massive clean-up and salvage efforts continued following the devastating Oct. 24 tornado that cut through both Coffman and it.

County emergency management director Felix Meyer reported that 30 houses in St. Mary had been affected, plus one business. He said five structures and one business were destroyed.

In the Coffman area, Meyer said four buildings were destroyed. The Baptist church also suffered damage as did some buildings at Crown Ridge Winery.

The response to the EF-3 tornado (one of five in the region) was phenomenal. Offers to help from numerous counties and cities had to be declined due to limited space to operate.

Crews from Perry County joined Ste. Genevieve County road and bridge workers in clearing streets and cutting mangled trees on Monday. Scott Schmieder, county road and bridge foreman, worked with St. Mary fire chief Frankie Ullman in coordinating efforts.

Presiding Commissioner Garry Nelson praised Schmieder and Meyer.

“Felix and Scott were down there immediately,” he said. “Felix took the 911 command center down there.”