All articles tagged with #effingham county
On June 17, 2026, a Wednesday night tornado in Effingham County, IL reached EF3+ with estimated peak winds of 150 mph, tracking about 26 miles from Beecher City through Shumway, Effingham, and Teutopolis before weakening to EF-2 and lifting north of Island Grove; two injuries were reported and extensive damage occurred to homes, barns and outbuildings along the path.
A tornado tore through Effingham County overnight, damaging homes and buildings from west of Shumway to south of Montrose and near Beecher City. Emergency crews are assessing injuries and damage; sheriff urges the public to avoid impacted areas and travel with extreme caution due to debris and downed power lines. No fatalities have been reported, with recovery efforts ongoing and updates to be provided by Effingham County EMA on its Facebook page.
Powerful storms ripped through Effingham County Wednesday night, with a confirmed tornado touching down in Shumway and Montrose and causing damage to homes and businesses. No serious injuries were reported, though several minor injuries occurred among responders. Fire, EMS, law enforcement, and utility crews conducted searches, mitigated hazards, and carried out damage assessments in a multi-agency effort. Eastern Illinois University closed due to storm damage, and residents were urged to watch for downed lines and debris; assistance contacts were provided for rural and city residents, and reports of damage also emerged near Charleston's Coles County Fairgrounds.
At least five people have died and multiple fatalities have been reported after a crash involving several vehicles and an ammonia leak in Effingham County, Illinois. The crash occurred on I-70 eastbound near the Montrose area, causing traffic to be rerouted. An additional wreck on Highway 40, east of Teutopolis, involved multiple vehicles, including a semi-truck leaking anhydrous ammonia. As a result, a one-mile radius around the crash site, including parts of Teutopolis, has been evacuated. Effingham County Coroner Kim Rhodes confirmed one fatality and five people with unknown injuries have been flown out from the scene. The cause of the crash and ammonia spill is still unknown.
The Effingham County Sheriff's Office is investigating a fatal pedestrian crash that occurred on Noel C. Conway Road in front of South Effingham High School. A 68-year-old male pedestrian, identified as Herbert Calahan, was walking in the road when he was struck by an RV. Calahan was pronounced dead at the scene, and the investigation is ongoing.
A 5-year-old girl from southern Illinois died after being struck by a starting gate that failed to close while she was sitting in the grandstand at a county fair harness race. The incident occurred at the Effingham County Fair, and the girl was airlifted to a St. Louis hospital where she later passed away.
I-16 in Effingham County, Georgia, has reopened after a deadly shootout during a traffic stop. An Effingham County deputy was shot at by a combative driver, leading to a highway pursuit. The driver crashed their car and continued shooting at officers, resulting in their death. The investigation is ongoing to identify the driver, who is reported to be a young male. Multiple law enforcement agencies responded to the incident, and the collaboration between agencies has been praised. The section of I-16 between Highway 280 and Old River Road was closed for several hours.
A traffic stop in Effingham County, Georgia turned fatal when a young man became combative and started shooting at officers. A chase ensued, ending in a car crash where the man continued to shoot at officers. In response, officers returned fire, killing the man. Multiple agencies, including the Effingham County Sheriff's Office and the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, are investigating the incident. The reason for the initial traffic stop has not been disclosed. I-16 was temporarily shut down during the investigation but has since reopened.