ST. LOUIS — A big mess is left behind, after storms brought strong winds anywhere between 30 to 70 miles per hour.
There were more than 700 reports of wind damage all across the Midwest.
And thousands of people are still without power a day later.
“This was different, this was very scary, very fast and you can tell how forceful the wind was,” said Jan Weinlich, a St. Louis resident.
Weinlich said Tuesday reminders of that storm were still left scattered on streets. As residents say high winds and rain left them with downed trees and no power.
“The wind was awful and I thought to myself this isn’t a tornado but its got to be close,” said Weinlich.
When 5 On Your Side caught up with Jan Weinlich she was going on 20 hours with no electricity. A cable running from her neighbors home to hers giving her only a small sense of relief.
“Thank God for iPhones because it’s the only thing I have to communicate,” said Weinlich.
About 30 minutes away Jessica, who asked us not to give her full name, says she is the same boat. She says the storm has been one long nightmare.
“It's been really frustrating this years been rough, having to be quarantines, quarantined away from loved ones, and now having power be out,” she said.
Jessica breeds animals and is a taxidermist, she says so far she’s lost two animals.
“So that’s thousands of dollars worth of future income that’s basically just going to be thawing out,” she said.
Both Jan and Jessica say even without electricity leaving home is not easy, especially during a pandemic.
“I thought about it I didn’t move on anything I haven’t been out at all since the pandemic," she said.
We asked Dr. Garza, head of the pandemic task force, for his recommendation on staying with others during the pandemic.
"My advice depends on the situation. If someone needs a place to stay and both parties are in good health and not high risk, then it is certainly OK to stay with one another – but they should still try to socially distance themselves as much as possible by using different restrooms and staying in separate rooms.
However, if one or the other is high risk and the other party has been out and about in the community, it puts everyone in the home at risk of contracting the virus.
You should weigh your options and remember to do all those things we remind you to do – like wash your hands, clean frequently touched surfaces often and stay at least 6 feet from each other. If you cannot, then you should both wear a mask, even inside your own home."
And if that’s not possible, wear a mask even in your own home.
"I did think about the pandemic, I do 24/7 and that's scarier than the storm," said Weinlich. "I'm 84 years old and I'm afraid some people like I said aren’t … good for them I wish that were me, that I wasn’t worried about it, but I think it's something to worry about.”