Vandalia-Butler City Schools announced on their Facebook page this afternoon they will be closed for the remainder of the school year. Students get a two day head start on summer break and will not have to make up the days.
Poe Avenue experienced potentially the heaviest damage.
84 Lumber is “pretty much gone,” according to Vandalia Communications Manager Rich Hopkins.
Scene 75 has light damage.
Benchwood Road at Miller Lane also sustained damage from the storm. Ruby Tuesday’s and a few buildings surrounding it were damaged.
Ameriwater on Stop Eight Road was in the middle of a renovation on the back half of the building and is severely damaged. The building next door, the former NCON, has been damaged, too. Both buildings have windows blown in and are in “bad shape,” Hopkins said.
Miller Lane heading south to Stop Eight has more damage, Hopkins said. Trees are down, front porches are blown off and debris is everywhere.
Vandalia activated its emergency operations center about 12:30 a.m. today. Crews are out assessing the damage from the storm, and we will update this when further information is available.
Butler Twp. was hit with significant damage in a few neighborhoods, according to Butler Twp. Fire Chief Daniel Alig.
The neighborhoods heavily impacted by the storms included areas off of North Dixie Drive near Benchwood Road and York Commons; Brantford Road and Coppersmith Avenue; and Brantford Road and Cricket Lane.
The damage is severe with trees down on houses and roads, power lines down, homes destroyed, roofs torn off and debris everywhere, the chief said.
Alig said most of the commercial businesses on Miller Lane lost power and some have minimal damage with windows broken or partial roofs blown off.