Harrisburg, Illinois Tornado Carries Check From 1980 Nearly Fifty Miles

It's been over two months since an early morning tornado rocked the city of Harrisburg, Illinois.  All this time later, signs are still appearing from the power of that storm.  Some of our loyal listeners that live in Mt. Vernon made a discovery in their yard, just last week proving just how strong the tornado was.

Melissa Wade was at her home in Mt. Vernon the morning of February 29th, and says she told her husband, even though the tornado didn't touch down, "It went right over our house."

The proof Melissa has is a check from Christ Lutheran Church in Harrisburg.  The check, in pretty good shape except for one missing corner and a few dirt splotches, is clearly marked as "Payroll."  What's even more interesting is that the date on the check is April 14th, 1980.

This church was one of the many buildings completely leveled in the tornado, as you see below the before and after.

The shear intensity of the storm was enough to carry this check over 45 miles to the Wade's yard in Mt. Vernon.