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40 YEARS: We’re a few days late, but the 40th anniversary of the Kane tornado just took place.

It was shocking. We live through all kinds of weather, but we usually escape the terrifying destruction of a tornado. Ten years ago, we talked to some Kane folks who remembered that day, May 31, 1985.

‘At about 8:15 p.m. May 31, 1985, the unimaginable happened.

‘A category F-4 tornado rampaged through Kane, smashing homes and businesses, downing trees and power lines, and leaving devastation in its wake.

‘Three people were dead in its aftermath, 39 were injured, 53 houses were damaged and several businesses were as well.

‘Laurel Avenue, Evergreen Park, Pennsylvania Avenue and East Kane along Route 321 were the heaviest hit.

‘Era stories from the days after the storm compared the area to a construction landfill, littered with pieces of houses, siding, shingles. Vehicles were smashed. Broken tree branches and broken glass were everywhere. And so were people’s possessions.’

Emergency crews went to work, helping folks whenever possible. Scouts were in town, ready to go on a camping trip. Instead, they jumped into action.

‘In the logging community of Kane, loggers with power saws and log trucks came in and started clearing roads to allow for emergency vehicles to get through. The fire department had food. The U.S. Army Reserves were in town on drills, and helped with searches.’

It was a Friday night, and all weekend long, help kept coming. While the residents remembered the fear and devastation, they also remembered that in the aftermath, people turned out to help.

As one resident said, ‘Things do not matter as much as people do.”