Tornado Damage Clean Up Underway in Southern Indiana
After tornado’s touched down across the Midwest Tuesday night and early Wednesday morning, residents in Posey County began scavenging for personal items. As Indiana Public Broadcasting’s Samantha Horton reports, years of memories were scattered across miles in a matter of seconds.
People dig through the rubble trying to find pictures, tools and various other items that belong to them. A tornado blew through a development on Koch Road completely leveling four homes and one barn. Ralph Koch, 83, and his wife Debbie were in their home’s dining room when the tornado came through. Koch says it felt like the house was falling in.
Residents survey tornado damage. (Photo: Samantha Horton)
“It felt like the floor was jumping up and down; somebody was down there beating, you know. And like I said, it lasted a short time and it was over and Debbie and I both was alright.”
Their house is still standing, but did experience significant damage. The Koch owns a few of the other properties that were destroyed. “It took me 40 years to build it up and it was gone in seconds,” said Koch. “It’s all just gone. Not much left but a bunch of scrap.”
His son was sent to Deaconess Hospital for treatments to his head after the trailer he lived in was destroyed by the tornado. His trailer was next door to Koch’s, but the structure is now spread about in pieces around the area.
Resident Jon Craig was grabbing dinner on his way home from work when the tornado leveled his home. He feels fortunate not to have been home, but is uncertain of what’s next.
Where Koch’s son’s trailer home used to be. (Photo: Samantha Horton)
“I’m not for sure if it’s really even set in,” said Craig. “Some of the guys that live out here I had never really met. I feel bad for them. I don’t know what they are going to do how they’re gonna make it through this; I don’t even know how I’m gonna do it. I’m sure, you know, we’ll figure it out.”
In Tuesday night’s storms there were some injuries reported but no fatalities in Indiana.
