TAYLORVILLE, Ill. — The city of Taylorville, like Mt. Vernon, was planning on holding their annual kickoff to the holiday season Saturday night. Unlike Mt. Vernon though, their celebration was cut short and now many Taylorville residents are picking up the pieces after a half-mile wide tornado came through the town at about 5:20 Saturday evening.

Taylorville’s mayor Bruce Barry is taking the whirlwind of events over the weekend in stride. He says his community has rallied and they are receiving overwhelming support after the disaster.

While the people of Taylorville continues their cleanup, it serves as a reminder for all of us that tornadoes can hit any month of the year in Illinois. The Washington, Illinois tornado five years ago hit in November. An EF4 tornado went through Jackson, Perry, and Franklin Counties in February of 2017.

Mt. Vernon Fire Chief Kevin Sargent says you need to take warnings and the tornado sirens seriously 365 days a year.

Barry thanks everyone for the support and if you would like to help, they are currently looking for monetary donations. For more information, you can call city hall at (217) 824-2101.