Colonial Plaza, located on East Empire Street, was hit by a tornado Friday evening that was ruled an EF1 by the National Weather Service.
Businesses within the plaza suffered damage to the exteriors of their stores, including Dick’s Sporting Goods, Carters, and Five Below.
Five Below’s windows were boarded up, and the shrapnel was stuck into the concrete near the sign.
“It sounded like Godzilla was shaking the building, and it felt like it. My employees ran back to the office within like 0.3 seconds, it was crazy.” Five Below manager Chelsea Gallegos said.
Customers were nowhere to be found during the time when the tornadoes touched down.
“Like ten minutes after the first initial thing went by, somebody tried to open the door. I was scared for them, so I opened the door and let them in. She was out here in her car.”
Items like trees and cart corrals were uprooted and pushed towards the building.
Light poles outside of the building were snapped.
“It was like fire crackers as one of them snapped down there. It was like pop, pop, pop and sizzled out.”
Clean up and damage repairs are still taking place.
“When we get tornado warnings, no one takes it seriously because they usually bounce right over us or as soon as it gets to us it’s a huge rain storm. I was surprised, I will not way that anymore. Tornadoes can hit Bloomington Normal.”
Around 86 Ameren customers are still without power.