HERMANN – Did the storms that blew across Gasconade County early last week contain more than heavy winds and torrential rains? Possibly, said one county government official.

Northern District Associate Commissioner Jim Holland, R-Hermann, Thursday morning said he thinks one of the storm cells that hit the area last week might have spawned a small twister. That was based on what he saw the day after the storm hit as he drove throughout the Northern District.

“I think it was a little tornado (that) came through,” he said. “We had a lot of trees out in the fields,” he added, referring to the scattered pattern of felled trees. Some of those trees — and limbs from trees that withstood the high winds — fell across county roads and driveways, prompting road crews and residents alike to respond with chainsaws.

Rainfall was heavier on the south end of the county, according to Southern District Associate Commissioner Ron Hardecke, R-Owensville.

“We didn’t have the wind,” he said during Thursday morning’s County Commission session. “We had more water,” he added, noting that the Bourbeuse River flooded and county road ditches were pushed to their limits in handling the heavy rainfall.

Hardecke pointed out that this round of storms came at a bad time — just as Road Department crews were about to begin patching projects. Responding to the storm damage amounts to a setback for department crews, he said.

“That’s taken a week out of our road department efforts,” he said.

Ironically, the Road Department was scheduled to begin applying dust-control measures last Monday when the storms started rolling across Mid-Missouri.

Holland said motorists on several roads in the north end of the county had to navigate trees and limbs across the roads. Included among those motorists was County Clerk Lesa Lietzow, who was able to drag a limb off Weeks Road as she headed into work last Tuesday morning.

“Trees down everywhere,” Holland said. He estimated the northern end of the county received 3.5 to 4 inches of rain. The downpour flooded some roads, sent creeks to their limit and prevented the delivery of mail in some areas.

The bad weather also prevented a gathering at the new Rohlfing Road bridge for a final sign-off on the project. “There was a lot of stuff everywhere,” the associate commissioner said.

Meanwhile, in other road matters, Hardecke said he is working with Rosebud officials in their effort to obtain crosswalks in town. MoDOT has been reluctant to put in crosswalks, he said. However, Hardecke said the amount of people who are in Rosebud, especially on special-event weekends, warrants having the pedestrian crossings.

“If there’s any place that needs crosswalks, it’s Rosebud,” he said.

An agreement proposed 10 years ago by MoDOT to the county regarding a section of Old Highway 19 might finally come to fruition. Presiding Commissioner Tim Schulte, R-Hermann, said he has been talking with MoDOT Regional Engineer Preston Kramer about the agreement that was never acted on by the county. The Commission Thursday morning agreed to assume ownership of the section of highway — even though, they said, there is no real benefit to the county — if MoDOT will do two things: Make repairs to the base of the road and place an overlay on the section.

Outside legal counsel Ivan Schraeder has expressed some concerns about a lease agreement between the county and the city of Owensville for the use of city property for a salt dome and storage area for winter materials. The concerns were relayed to city officials for their consideration.