EF1 tornado interrupts wedding rehearsal at Brookdale Farms
EUREKA, Mo. – At least six small tornadoes developed in Missouri and Illinois Thursday evening. One of those went right through a wedding rehearsal dinner.
“We had just gotten here to do the rehearsal for the wedding on Saturday, and then got in the building and shortly thereafter, the storm hit,” Heather Jonas, mother of the bride, said. “We kind of ran to the bathroom and (it) sounded like a train was getting ready to come through the building.”
According to Annette Johnson, there were around 25 people in the building when the storm arrived.
“Everything started rattling when the roof ripped off and we got everyone to safety,” she said. “It was a little bit of chaos, but we stayed very calm and tried to keep our guests calm, but nobody was hurt.”
The former St. Louis brands and businesses missed most
Nearby barns were also destroyed in the storm. No one was injured at the 350-acre event venue.
“Once we knew everyone was okay, we went outside and practiced and rehearsed for the wedding,” Jonas said. “Everyone was good, (we) kind of celebrated and we were all safe.”
The team at Brookdale Farms were working overnight to assess structural integrity and make repairs.
“If (we’re) given the green light, we are optimistic that we will be able to host their wedding here at 5 p.m.,” James Vivak, general manager of Brookdale Farms, said.
For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 2.
