Storm wreaks havoc on Pilot Knob
Photo by Andrew Miller
This Pontiac Grand Prix, its driver-side window shattered, remained pinioned beneath a downed utility pole Tuesday morning on Pilot Knob Road in Apple Valley.
Pilot Knob Road was closed between County Roads 42 and 46 as crews removed more than a dozen downed utility poles and power lines following the overnight storm that resulted in widespread reports of power outages, property damage and downed trees.
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This is the second time in recent memory I recall these poles coming down in a storm.
I did a little research and this is an odd stretch of road. In the past 25 years, these poles have been knocked down three times in winds. People who worked daily on the nearby mines often reported strong winds in the area even when nearby areas were calm. In the 19th century, St. Joseph Catholic Church (Pilot Knob and Dodd where 160th Street is currently, old cemetery still there) was destroyed by a tornado. The farm house across from the church was leveled about a month earlier than the destruction of the church, although no one was there at the time and surrounding areas seemed unscathed.. St. Joe’s built a BRICK church in Rosemount (Hwy 3, currently Rosemount’s Steeple Center) to replace the destroyed church, and began internment at a new cemetery across from the church, keeping up, but no longer burying at the old location.