Home & Garden
Killer Tornado: Widower Made Video of Dark Cloud That Killed His Wife
On the anniversary of his wife's death, as tornado season begins anew, Clem Schultz doesn't want people to make his mistake.
The tornado struck on April 9, 2015, tearing a deadly path through northern Illinois. Schultz, 85, didn't hunker down for safety despite the weather warnings. Instead, when he looked out his bedroom window and spotted the twister, he decided to record the tornado.
He stood at the window and made a video, expecting the storm to turn and pass by his house. The tornado bore down on him quickly, slammed onto Main Street, and tore through his home. His wife was in the kitchen.
Schultz found himself in the rubble of his home. A neighbor pulled him from the debris.
"Don't look down," the neighbor told him.
Why? Schultz asked.
He had landed on top of his dead wife, Geri, 67.
A memorial took place Saturday to commemorate those who lost their lives that day in the strongest tornado to hit Illinois since the 1990 tornado that tore through Plainfield. The long track EF-4 tornado was on the ground for 30.2 miles through Ogle and DeKalb counties, had estimated peak winds of up to 200 mph and a maximum path width of 700 yards, according to the National Weather Service. All 71 buildings in Fairdale were damaged, many destroyed.
Eleven people were hospitalized. Two people died that day. Jacklyn Klosa, 69, a neighbor of the Schultzes, died, too.
Schultz wants people to see his video so they understand the devastating, unpredictable power of tornados and do what he did not do that day — take cover quickly.
Also on Patch
Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.
