While power outages were reported, preparedness was a key to having minimal damage in Kosciusko County during the day-long wind storm Sunday.

Steve Moriarty, Kosciusko County Highway assistant superintendent, said there were a few instances of trees down, and crews were able to respond quickly because heavy equipment and chain saws were prepared and loaded on trucks ahead of the storm. Crews spent Sunday making sure roads were opened as quickly as possible where trees fell, and were going back today to do cleanup work.





“We had maybe 15 roads that had trees across them,” said Moriarty, “but by this morning they were all open.”

Warsaw Street Superintendent Jeff Beeler said there was only one report of a tree down where the city needed to respond – in an alley near Lincoln School. He said an Indiana Department of Transportation crew responded to a tree down on West Winona Avenue on Sunday.

“We’ve been pretty aggressive in the last three years about cutting down dead trees around Warsaw,” Beeler said. “I think we’ve taken down 70-something trees that were dead or hollow, and that probably helped out quite a bit (Sunday).”

County Emergency Management Agency Director Ed Rock said this morning he had received no reports of wind damage in the area. “It doesn’t mean it didn’t happen; it just means it hasn’t been reported to me,” he said.

Pockets of power outages were reported Sunday, and this morning NIPSCO’s power outage map showed one customer each in Silver Lake, Syracuse and Winona Lake without power.

Jennifer Barger, communications specialist with Kosciusko REMC, said in a Sunday afternoon press release, “It was a long day for KREMC linemen. Outages due to high winds and fallen trees called the linemen out in full force since before dawn this morning.

“Over 2,800 KREMC meters were without power. Within a few hours, KREMC crews successful restored all but 95 meters. By 2:30 (Sunday) afternoon, all but 50 meters were fully restored. The remaining outages are located in the Grace Village and Palestine Lake areas. These outages are due to broken poles.”

Barger confirmed late this morning all service was restored in that time frame.