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Pendleton Recovers From Scary Moment After Tornado Hits Town

By Emily Cox and Micah Yason, IPB News | Published on in Weather
At least 75 homes were damaged in Pendleton after a tornado touched down Monday, May 28, 2019.
At least 75 homes were damaged in Pendleton after a tornado touched down Monday, May 28, 2019.

Tornadoes twisted through Ohio and Indiana overnight. At least one person was killed and some 90 people were injured.

In the small town of Pendleton, northeast of Indianapolis, the National Weather Service is confirming an EF2 tornado touched down. About 75 homes were damaged with some totally destroyed. But there no fatalities reported in the small town

The National Weather Service confirmed EF2 tornado touched down in Pendleton, Indiana, where winds were estimated between 111-135 mph. No fatalities were reported and less than a hundred homes damaged.

Patty Hinton says the town feels lucky – but effectively shut down for now. Uprooted trees are scattered throughout downtown. Roofs of some homes were caved in from fallen trees, power lines and utility poles were also down. Hinton’s lived in Pendleton for 25 years.

“It’s going to take weeks, if not months to get everything cleared up,” she said outside her home Tuesday. “Then I know there are houses that need to be repaired that is going to take a long time.”

A tree fell into her backyard – missing her house.

“Somebody looked out the sliding glass window and could see it and yelled, it’s here, so we got down in the basement before,” Hinton says. “But things were flying, we could hear things popping, so it was a pretty scary moment there.”

Madison County Emergency Management reported no serious injuries.

Along the town’s main street workers were seen cutting the limbs of fallen trees and residents cleaning around their homes.

Christine McKain, a town resident of 20 years sat on her front porch with her grandchildren as the followed orders to stay off the debris-covered roads.

“As my granddaughter said, ‘Do you feel like we’re trapped here on a front porch with a cool breeze?’” says McKain. “Oh, gee. Yes. We have water and we have food and we have our curiosity, so we’re in pretty good shape aren’t we?”

During the day around 4,000 people in the city without power, according to the Red Cross. The local high school was used as a shelter Monday night and will continue to be open Tuesday night if needed.