Windstorm Topples Pin Oak, Destroys Camper In Alton
A sudden burst of wind and rain sent a massive tree crashing down on Washington Avenue, leaving dramatic storm damage and a close call for nearby vehicles.
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ALTON - A large pin oak tree fell and demolished a camper at 1315 Washington Ave. in Alton, around 1 p.m. on Sunday, June 20, 2026, during a windstorm on Father’s Day, according to Jeffrey Dale, who said he witnessed the damage from inside his house.
Dale said he was upstairs in the laundry room on the property when heavy rain and wind moved through and the pressure appeared to change inside the home.
“I was in an upstairs window of the house and felt the pressure change; wind sucked the curtain against the window and blew it back in and then back out, and you could feel the pressure change. It seemed like it was twisted,” Dale said.
He said he “heard the crash” near the Washington Avenue home in Alton after initially thinking “the gutter got blown off.”
The fallen tree, which Dale described as a “big pin oak,” landed on an older camper in the alley and blocked access until the City of Alton Public Works staff cleared it, he said.
“It didn’t hurt the house or cars, but the pin oak tree snapped and landed directly on top of the camper and blocked the alley until the Public Works staff opened it up,” Dale said.
Dale said the “camper was demolished.” He said the tree missed nearby vehicles.
“After this happened, I walked out and thought, 'Oh my God, I am fortunate it didn’t destroy my car right next to it,'” Dale said. “The cars parked across the alley didn’t get hit; it just fell on top of the older camper.”
Dale also reported other apparent storm damage nearby.
“At Little Caesars Pizza nearby, a plum tree fell over on a car," he said, "So we did have damage from the storm here in the Alton area."
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