Morrison High School Class of 1986 friends of Frankie Mendoza will be gratified to know he and his family are safe from a tornado that layed waste to Washington, IL, on Sunday, November 17, 2013. He and his wife and their two sons were unharmed, but on Monday, November 18, he told Greg Pruis, Morrison, IL, that “we lost our house.” The two men played in the summer Alumni Football Game, becoming acquainted during pre-game practices. Mendoza drove from the Peoria, IL, area to attend.
Help for the Mendozas and their townspeople will be offered from Morrison, and you can assist with donations. On Friday, November 22, a trailer will be filled with necessary items of all sorts, between the hours of 11:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. It will depart Emmanuel Reformed Church, 202 E. Morris Street, Morrison, with Jeni DeVries as driver.
Her cousin is Missy (Scott) Mouw, 13561 Treva Drive, Morrison. Mouw received an early morning text message from “Frankie” on Monday indicating the family’s situation. The Mouws are accepting drop-off donations and money for their friend and other victims. Phone her at 815-772-8110 for additonal information.
Pruis stated Washington High School is in the Class 5A, 2013 Illinois High School Football Semifinal Playoffs of the State Football Championship. They hope to compete against the Cyclones of Sacred Heart-Griffin in Springfield, IL, on Friday, November 29. That is yet to be determined.
Congresswoman Cheri Bustos sent the following links to assist the Washington residents stating, “Please share these links with those who may be in need. And, as always, my offices in Illinois and in Washington, D.C., are on standby to help residents who are in need of assistance. You can also email me here. Please, don’t hesitate to be in touch if you have questions.”
- Illinois Emergency Management Agency/Illinois Ready: http://www.illinois.gov/ready/after/Pages/default.aspx
- Peoria County ESDA:http://www.peoriacounty.org/county/esda/ or call 309-691-3111
- Tazewell County ESDA:http://www.tazewell.com/taz-ema.html or call 309-477-2234
- Disaster Assistance Information:http://www.disasterassistance.gov/
The tornado was classified Monday at a devastating, EF-4 level. This photo was taken by Washington resident Nathan Retherford. Three vehicles lie upside down, crunched in a nose-dive, and surrounded by debris that might have been a garage. People lived here a day ago.
