BURKE, S.D. (KELO.com) — A storm with winds over 100 mph has caused severe damage in Burke, in south-central South Dakota.
Mayor Tom Glover says the middle school, the courthouse and many other buildings are damaged.
“The lumberyard, I would say, is the worst. The structures are gone or partially gone. You see insulation hanging in trees blocks away, tin wrapped around poles and stuff.”
Only two minor injuries reported. Apparently, two men were trying to get vehicles into a garage, when the storm literally blew the garage away.
The National Weather Service has determined that a brief tornado, along with straight-line winds caused the damage.
Burke was basically closed to outside traffic on Wednesday because of downed power lines and to facilitate recovery efforts.
Governor Kristi Noem was planning to visit the town to see the damage first hand and to talk to local leaders. Former Candidate for Governor, Billie Sutton, Burke’s his hometown, has set up a GoFundMe page for donations. https://www.gofundme.com/burke-sd-storm-destruction-relief
Mayor Glover says Burke will be back.
“We are a strong community. We’ve been through these things before. We’ll survive. It will just take a little time.”
