According to Kosciusko County American Red Cross Disaster Chairman Greg Wilkinson today, 136 single-family properties were damaged by Wednesday's tornadoes.

Of the properties damaged, four single-family homes were totaled; 23 had major damage and 34 had minor damage. No mobile homes were totaled, but 10 had major damage and 65 mobile homes had minor damage. The count includes the homes the Red Cross disaster assessment teams found along the path of the tornadoes, from Mentone to North Webster and in some isolated areas such as Barbee Lakes.

A disaster shelter was opened at the Center Lake Pavilion Wednesday but Wilkinson said it was closed after three hours because storm victims did not take advantage of the shelter. He said some of those affected by the storms preferred to stay at their damaged residences or with relatives.

Three families were serviced by the American Red Cross for emergency needs, he said, and the Red Cross helped 15 to 20 people.

The Red Cross will continue working on helping those who need assistance.

"Right now," said Wilkinson when asked about the next step for the Red Cross, "we'd like to educate people and businesses that, when they say take cover - take cover."

Wednesday's storm, he said, had the potential to cause some "real damage." The tornado was grounded only for 26-27 miles. Had it been an F-2 tornado instead of an F-1, it could have caused more damage and injury.

An F-1 tornado has wind speeds of 73 to 112 miles per hour. An F-2, such as the one that touched down near Kendallville, has wind speeds of 113 to 157 mph.

"God graced us here in Kosciusko County," Wilkinson said.

Donations of food and clothing will be handled by the Salvation Army. Food should be taken to the Army's main office at 501 E. Arthur St., Warsaw. Donations of clothing, blankets and coats as well as other useable items should be taken to the Family Thrift Store, 322 N. Detroit St.

Financial donations to either the Salvation Army or American Red Cross are always accepted.

An "unbelievable" amount of help was provided to the American Red Cross during and after the storms, and Wilkinson said he wanted to thank everyone for their help.

All Red Cross assistance is given at no charge to victims of disasters. For more information, call the American Red Cross at 267-5244 or toll free at 888-267-5244. Both the American Red Cross and the Salvation Army are Kosciusko County United Way agencies. [[In-content Ad]]