Homes Damaged In Dells Subdivision

July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.

By MATTHEW WEIGELT and DAVID SLONE, Times-Union Staff Writers-

The tornado swept through Da-Lite Screen Co. Wednesday and continued in to the Dells, a housing development near the Warsaw Municipal Airport.

The storm ripped through houses, collapsed garages and tore away roofs in the neighborhood.

Bren and Cathie Lauck's house, at 3328 N. Hickory Road, was in the tornado's path.

No one was home during the storm. Lauck's 5-month-old daughter was at the baby sitter's house down the street.

The sitter told Lauck on the phone the house was "pretty bad."

"You just don't know until you see it," said Bren Lauck, 32.

It "could be a very long process," said Lauck. "But we'll get through it." He said a builder estimated roughly six months to finish repairs. The insurance company may even total the house, he said.

Two rooms in the house were not touched. The newly refinished basement was in order, and "the only thing amiss in the (living) room" was an outfit for the baby, said Lauck. The dress was blown to the floor.

Jeff Wagner, Lauck's neighbor, said the tornado lasted "a matter of a minute." He and his family retreated to the basement utility room.

Afterward, he found the front windows were blown out and some of the house's shingles and siding were missing.

The tornado also damaged several homes along Old Road 30.

"I saw the whirls coming down and I yelled and we went down to the basement," said Kevin Engle, 2437 Old Road 30W, Warsaw.

The storm uprooted trees, scattered debris and tore roofing off several houses.

Engle said he wasn't sure the tornado actually touched the ground and said it didn't last too long. He said it was "just a big whirl" and he didn't hear any noise.

Several of the trees on the Engle property and neighboring property were torn out of the ground or ripped in two. A 7-foot-by-7-foot greenhouse was destroyed, and the roof of Engle's back porch was gone. The cables to his house from the nearby electrical pole were laying around in his yard.

Part of a trampoline was hanging on a utility pole along Old Road 30. The rest of the trampoline was nowhere in sight. [[In-content Ad]]

The tornado swept through Da-Lite Screen Co. Wednesday and continued in to the Dells, a housing development near the Warsaw Municipal Airport.

The storm ripped through houses, collapsed garages and tore away roofs in the neighborhood.

Bren and Cathie Lauck's house, at 3328 N. Hickory Road, was in the tornado's path.

No one was home during the storm. Lauck's 5-month-old daughter was at the baby sitter's house down the street.

The sitter told Lauck on the phone the house was "pretty bad."

"You just don't know until you see it," said Bren Lauck, 32.

It "could be a very long process," said Lauck. "But we'll get through it." He said a builder estimated roughly six months to finish repairs. The insurance company may even total the house, he said.

Two rooms in the house were not touched. The newly refinished basement was in order, and "the only thing amiss in the (living) room" was an outfit for the baby, said Lauck. The dress was blown to the floor.

Jeff Wagner, Lauck's neighbor, said the tornado lasted "a matter of a minute." He and his family retreated to the basement utility room.

Afterward, he found the front windows were blown out and some of the house's shingles and siding were missing.

The tornado also damaged several homes along Old Road 30.

"I saw the whirls coming down and I yelled and we went down to the basement," said Kevin Engle, 2437 Old Road 30W, Warsaw.

The storm uprooted trees, scattered debris and tore roofing off several houses.

Engle said he wasn't sure the tornado actually touched the ground and said it didn't last too long. He said it was "just a big whirl" and he didn't hear any noise.

Several of the trees on the Engle property and neighboring property were torn out of the ground or ripped in two. A 7-foot-by-7-foot greenhouse was destroyed, and the roof of Engle's back porch was gone. The cables to his house from the nearby electrical pole were laying around in his yard.

Part of a trampoline was hanging on a utility pole along Old Road 30. The rest of the trampoline was nowhere in sight. [[In-content Ad]]

Have a news tip? Email [email protected] or Call/Text 360-922-3092

e-Edition


e-edition

Sign up


for our email newsletters

Weekly Top Stories

Sign up to get our top stories delivered to your inbox every Sunday

Daily Updates & Breaking News Alerts

Sign up to get our daily updates and breaking news alerts delivered to your inbox daily

Latest Stories


Wawasee Community School Corporation Reorganizes, Announces Restructuring Plan To Protect Classrooms, Streamline Operations
SYRACUSE – In response to projected budget reductions for the 2025–26 school year, Wawasee Community School Corporation (WCSC) is implementing a strategic restructuring plan that prioritizes classrooms, safeguards educational quality and streamlines district operations.

The Penalty Box: Bears Need To Pick A Site And Start Digging
Everything about the Chicago Bears feels like they’re trending upward.

Winona Lake Zoning
Poage

vacation of Public Way
Clevenger

Public Occurrences 05.14.25
County Jail Bookings The following people were arrested and booked into the Kosciusko County Jail: