DECATUR, Ill. (WCIA) — Thursday’s intense weather wasn’t just a challenge for people; it also left almost 100 cats and dogs in Macon County without electricity.
The primary concern was maintaining cleanliness. Volunteers had to manage changing litter boxes and cleaning cages both on Thursday night and Friday morning, all without any lighting. However, the issues extended beyond just that.
“The power went out around 8 o’clock last night,” stated Shelter Manager Lisa Lambert. “Our volunteers were present; they remained with our animals throughout the storm.”
She said they stayed until 10 p.m. to make sure the animals were ok. But when Lambert got in this morning, she saw the effects of the weather.
“Our power was still out,” Lambert said. “So, a couple of us had to do some cleaning and everything in the in the dark this morning with flashlights.”
They got everything done as normal besides mopping, which was done once power returned. Once that problem was solved, they turned to making sure all the animals could stay cool with the temperatures rising inside.
“We’ve got doors to some rooms open so that they get the airflow and everything through,” Lambert said. “If it gets too warm, we’ll give our dogs some KONGs for them, it’s a frozen treat. We’ve got some frozen dog food, some frozen peanut butter in them. Our cats, most of them seem to be doing good. If we need to, we’ll go get some battery-operated fans to put in with our cat rooms.”
Stephen Decatur Middle School had to adjust their plans as well. They cancelled classes because of the lack of power.
“Dropped a large tree on our high voltage lines coming in,” said Buildings and Grounds Director Floyd Bolt. “The weight of the tree caused the telephone pole to snap in half, so there was quite a bit of clean up and a new pole had to be set.”
But not everything was cancelled. The school district said graduation and the Sneaker Ball Dance are good to go thanks to the work of Ameren.
“They just got it back on at about 11:45 a.m.” Bolt said. “It’s great. Actually, I came out here at about 6:00 a.m. and they were already on the job working. So, [I’m] happy they’re here.”
Lambert said the humane society got power back on just before noon and opened at 1 p.m. on Friday. This meant one lucky cat was able to be adopted and hopefully find its forever home. Decatur Schools brought back food they had to move from the middle school because freezers and fridges shut off.
