News Residents see the unusual effects of storm damage while continuing clean-up

     Vinton Police Chief Jeff Tilson stood outside city hall a few weeks ago, talking about storms that had made headlines in other parts of the country.

     “Vinton’s been lucky,” he said. “We have not had a storm for a while; we are about due for one.”

     Chief Tilson and his family were on vacation in Colorado when they received the news of Monday morning’s storms. Friends told them the roof over their deck had blown off. When they returned Monday night, they found the damage worse than they had expected; the part of the roof that blew off bounced along the rest of the roof, causing several holes and much water damage. Friends are now helping the Tilsons with the clean-up.

     All over Vinton, and beyond, friends and neighbors are helping those most affected by the storms. The sound of generators and chain saws echoes across most of the town. The effects of the storm, and the laws of physic, are also clearly visible. 

    A large sheet of copper from the recent Iowa Braille School roof renovation is wrapped around a utility pole more than two blocks away from the building. A few blocks from that pole, a very large tree – at least three feet in diameter at the trunk – was uprooted and fell on two vehicles parked on the other side of F Avenue. One of the vehicles was smashed, but several strands of utility wires held the tree and kept it from flattening the other vehicle.

     Rich Hainstock stood on the roof of his building at the corner of First Avenue and 5th Street. As he watched workers repairing roof damage on virtually every building around him, he said that he believes the solar panels that he recently installed actually served as a giant spoiler that held his roof on when all of his neighbors sustained significant damage. Only one small corner – on the side without the solar panels – was damaged, as part of the foam blew off.

     Hainstock said that the solar panels were built to withstand 90 MPH winds.

     Inside the Hainstock building, where Rich and VS Superintendent Mary Jo have moved into the upstairs area, the administrative staff was doing the payroll for the district. School computer equipment was moved to the Hainstock residence because of the power outage that still affects the school.

     And while many area residents are sad at the losses they see (such as the damage to the Horridge House), many others respond with humor and an extra dose of helpful neighborliness.

     While many are dealing with damaged buildings, many more are dealing with fallen or damaged trees. Benton County Supervisor Ron Buch spent the morning with a chain saw, helping crews remove trees from Third Street on the north side of the courthouse lawn.

     Mark Pingenot of Trees Forever was filling up small gas cans late Monday morning; he said he had to do some work on the damaged trees on his own property before heading to work to help eastern Iowans deal with their tree issues. Trees Forever has prepared a guide to advise property owners how to handle storm damage. Before Pingenot left the gas station another man approached him. “Hey!” he said. “I am having some problems with a tree.” Pingenot laughed, acknowledging what is virtually a universal problem for Vinton area residents.

      Other local residents and businesses were also dealing with other storm-related issues. A Black Hawk County health inspector toured Vinton, asking for oral reports on how businesses handled food during the power outage.