Many engaged in area's massive recovery from the big wind

</element><element id="paragraph-1" type="body"><![CDATA[The lights came on last night, but Galatia residents are still struggling with the after-effects of the massive wind storm Friday.

Power was restored about 10:20 p.m., according to Allan Ninness, Saline County Emergency Management coordinator.

It took longer for power to be restored to Galatia because transmission lines to the village were cut during the storm from two directions. As of Monday, Ameren crews were working on transmission systems from Thompsonville and Muddy to restore power. Ameren has about 1,900 people working in Southern Illinois to restore power to afflicted areas.

Ameren crews have reported swampy, wet conditions, which slows the pace of reaching problem areas and placing new poles, according to a news release from Ameren.

SouthEastern Illinois Electric Cooperative reported 2,.600 customers out as of 9 p.m. Monday. The cooperative serves 12,000 total residences, including several residences in Franklin and Williamson County. Counties to the west of Saline were hit much harder by the Friday wind storm.

Even though the power is back on in Galatia, problems remain.

"Even though the power is on in town, power to the pump station is not restored, so conserve water," NInness said.

"A short shower is the best shower."

People were very patient about the electricity situation, Ninness said.

"We're used to flipping a switch and having the light come on. It is a reminder that we have to have a level of preparedness, just in case it doesn't go on," Ninness said.

Many residents in the village have suffered property damage due to fallen trees and limbs. Despite the damage and inevitable storm-related problems, clean-up has been very smooth, according to Mayor David Harrawood.

"It's going pretty well, I think," Harrawood said.

The Amish school near the intersection of Brown Road and Harco Road was destroyed in the wind storm. Fortunately, the Amish school was out for the summer, "Which is a good thing. Someone would have been killed if it hadn't been," Harrawood said.

Galatia has quite a few volunteers helping people with tree removal and cleanup. The Southern Baptist Convention Disaster Relief and scores of citizens have helped people with damage and fallen trees.

"The Amish community has come in to help," Harrawood said.

The damage looked extensive on Monday, but things looked much worse Friday and Saturday.

"They have already moved such a huge amount to the streets. We've got a lot cleaned up," Ninness said.

Ninness believes there is more tree debris in town than the 2002 tornado, but less damage of residences. Virtually every street has trees down, large limbs down, or trees across a vehicle, house or out-building.

Generators were on throughout town. There wasn't a place where a generator couldn't be heard.

Close call

The family of Blake Bradley had a close call during the storm. Bradley's wife and young daughter were home when falling trees caused extensive damage to the house.

"They were trying to make a phone call to cancel a vet appointment when it hit, then my daughter jumped into my wife's arms," Bradley said.

"After it hit, they went on to the basement level."

The gas meter was struck when a tree fell across the house, which caused natural gas to spew into the air. The gas company had to cap the meter.

Large trees are down all around the Bradley family home. Several were uprooted and dropped on their sides with the root system still intact.

"We were talking, and maybe some of the trees wouldn't have come up if the ground weren't' saturated," Bradley said.

It seems as though Galatia -- and the rest of Saline County -- has seen its share of weather-related problems in recent years.

"It seems like since Sept. 11, 2001 it hasn't stopped," Ninness said. "There's no relation, but it seems like we've had a lot of them."

Since 2001, the region has seen the Galatia tornado, a 19-inch blizzard, two ice storms, a major flood and the wind storm.

Baptist Disaster Relief

A local team of Southern Baptist Disaster Relief workers set up operations at the First Baptist Church in Galatia and went to work Monday. Most of the work on Monday included helping people drag away limbs.

So far, all the Disaster Relief volunteer workers are from Saline County, Tom Clore said.

"There are probably 20 here today. We have asked for out-of-state help," Clore said.

Out-of-state crews typically stay at the local Baptist church, Clore said. The churches feed local and out-of-state crews.

Clore has been volunteering in disasters for about eight years.

"I've been doing this a long time and this is awesome stuff," Clore said.

"For me, this is a wonderful witnessing opportunity for Christians."

Anyone needing assistance from the Southern Baptist Disaster Relief workers should call the First Baptist Church in Eldorado at 273-8206. The organization will try to help.

"We can't promise anything; we are a volunteer organization doing the best we can," Clore said.

Food after a power outage

The refrigerator and freezer only keep food cold for a while after a power outage. Food safety is a concern after the power has been interrupted for several hours or days. The Egyptian Health Department released several suggested steps for residents to take after a power outage.

The refrigerator will keep food safely cold for about 4 hours if the door is unopened. A full freezer will maintain its temperature for about 48 hours if the door remains closed; a half-full freezer stays cold for about 24 hours.

If a power outage is prolonged and temperatures cannot be maintained, some food should be discarded. Potentially hazardous foods such as meat, dairy items and eggs should be discarded if the temperature is over 40 degrees Fahrenheit for more than two hours.

If food in the freezer is not above 40 degrees and ice crystals remain, food can be refrozen, according to the news release.

However, if any doubts remain about whether to keep or throw away food, it is best to discard it.

Also:

-- Finnie Good Shepherd Nursing Home had their 60th anniversary celebration as planned Monday. Residents had a balloon lift-off at 10 a.m. The ceremony, including a singer, was held with the aid of a public-address system on a generator, Ninness said.

-- Corinth and Prospect water districts and the village of Galatia remain under a boil order until further notice. The boil orders were issued because of low pressure at some point, not because the water system was infiltrated. Power to some pump stations is still out.

-- County cities and villages are asking property owners to pile limbs and cut-up trees at curbside for pickup. Harrisburg residents this week may take limbs to the Roundhouse from 7:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. Eldorado residents may also take limbs to

-- County Board Chairman Jim Fowler declared a state of emergency Saturday afternoon, which is a first step toward getting state assistance for cleanup after the storm, Ninness said. A mobile command center has been set up in Galatia, near the village community center.

-- The curfew was lifted in Galatia after the power came back Monday.

-- Galatia is under a "no-burning order" until further notice due to the high volume of downed limbs.

-- The annual town-wide cleanup set for May 18 in Galatia is postponed until further notice.