Illinois Farm Bureau understands the importance of documenting changing aspects of agriculture. Unfortunately, sometimes this include capturing images of devastating weather.

On the afternoon of Friday, May 8, 2009 a storm raged through Southern Illinois. Described as an “inland hurricane” by the National Weather Service, the storm produced winds clocked at 86 mph at the Williamson County Airport and as high as 106 mph in neighboring Carbondale. The ferocious storm arrived with little warning and displayed all the characteristics of a hurricane; a circular motion, an eye, and hurricane force winds. Governor Quinn declared Franklin, Jackson, and Williamson counties disaster areas.

On Wednesday, May 13, Illinois Farm Bureau’s famed photographer, Ken Kashian, visited IFB board member Jim Anderson’s farm near Thompsonville, northeast of Marion, in Williamson County. Kashian then created a gallery of photographs from the destruction and clean up.  Visit the gallery now.