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Former Galesburg Resident Spared by Harrisburg Tornado
A former Galesburg resident says he's lucky he was unharmed by a tornado that went through Harrisburg Wednesday.

Rick Kroncke moved to Harrisburg just last November for a job. He lives in a rental house that was spared by Wednesday's tornado in the Southern Illinois area that killed 6, but he says he can damage blocks away in virtually any direction.

Kroncke tells WGIL when the tornado hit around 5am Wednesday, he was trying to play it cool for the sake of his two kids.

"I tried to stay calm and everything, tried to keep them calm, especially with the children I didn't want them to get upset and start freaking out," he said. "So I kind of ignored it, but at the same time I was being very cautious, I kept getting up and going outside, looking out the windows, and listening for things."

Kroncke says it sounded simply like a very loud storm at first, not necessarily like one that caused damage. But he says the damage around him became clear when daylight hit.

Kroncke, his girlfriend, and the two kids are all okay. He says he's going to try and help in the town's cleanup as much as he can in the meantime.
03 02 12 by Newsroom
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