Under Cover Of Darkness, Tornado Ravages Elkhart County Town
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
By Daniel Riordan and Jen Gibson-
No where was the damage worse than Nappanee, where a confirmed tornado touched down.[[In-content Ad]]Taco Bell, Express Lube and Gulf Stream in Nappanee were all destroyed, according to Indiana State Police officer Tony Slocum. Despite the damage, there were no severe injuries reported from the storm as of this morning.
"I'm utterly amazed at what I'm seeing," said Slocum as he surveyed the damage.
Two bands of storms came through the county with the first coming around 8:30 p.m. The second band included the tornado that hit Nappanee around 10:30 p.m.
Randy Spiteals, an attorney in Nappanee, and his family heard the tornado siren in town go off. Spiteals estimated the siren gave him and his family five minutes warning to get to their basement.
Spiteals said that once his family was secure, the storm worsened and his ears popped as if he was on an airplane. In that time, the second story of Spiteals' home at 71900 CR 9 was gone.
"As quick as it came, it was gone," said Jim Mast, who lives along CR 9 near Spiteals.
Mast said a neighbor's 24-foot-by-24-foot log cabin was completely gone.
Spiteals' next-door neighbor, Mark Heeter, was not home at the time of the tornado, but he received a call from his wife when it happened.
"I was at the (NorthWood) high school volleyball sectional when it happened," Heeter said, adding that he and another announcer were keeping tabs on the storm-related announcements. "The Whitko Lakeland game finished, and we told everyone to stay here."
Heeter was in the gym at the high school when his wife, Jenny, called to tell him the tornado hit their house.
"It was about 10:20 p.m. when she called," Heeter said. "She said our house got hit. ... I got in the van and got back there as fast as I could.
"It's unbelievable. Especially in the light. It was bad last night, but unbelievable this morning."
Another one of Spiteal's neighbor's, Missy Cleveland, was not at home during the tornado, but also was shocked by the destruction caused by the tornado.
"Obviously, there will have to be a lot of rebuilding," said Cleveland, whose home sustained roof and window damage. "But no one was injured. Material things can be replaced. God was looking out for everyone here."
More than 200 emergency personnel, including police and fire, were in and around the area this morning, helping in the recovery.
Power was out throughout areas of Nappanee, although Dave Tompos, who lives just south of NorthWood High School, said his power was on.
Tompos, who owns two buildings in Nappanee, drove around the area and said several abandoned buildings were destroyed.
"It's like the area has been bombed several times," said Slocum.
In parts of Nappanee, homes were destroyed; debris, limbs and powerlines lined the street
A state of emergency was called in Nappanee and, of this morning, was still in effect.
No where was the damage worse than Nappanee, where a confirmed tornado touched down.[[In-content Ad]]Taco Bell, Express Lube and Gulf Stream in Nappanee were all destroyed, according to Indiana State Police officer Tony Slocum. Despite the damage, there were no severe injuries reported from the storm as of this morning.
"I'm utterly amazed at what I'm seeing," said Slocum as he surveyed the damage.
Two bands of storms came through the county with the first coming around 8:30 p.m. The second band included the tornado that hit Nappanee around 10:30 p.m.
Randy Spiteals, an attorney in Nappanee, and his family heard the tornado siren in town go off. Spiteals estimated the siren gave him and his family five minutes warning to get to their basement.
Spiteals said that once his family was secure, the storm worsened and his ears popped as if he was on an airplane. In that time, the second story of Spiteals' home at 71900 CR 9 was gone.
"As quick as it came, it was gone," said Jim Mast, who lives along CR 9 near Spiteals.
Mast said a neighbor's 24-foot-by-24-foot log cabin was completely gone.
Spiteals' next-door neighbor, Mark Heeter, was not home at the time of the tornado, but he received a call from his wife when it happened.
"I was at the (NorthWood) high school volleyball sectional when it happened," Heeter said, adding that he and another announcer were keeping tabs on the storm-related announcements. "The Whitko Lakeland game finished, and we told everyone to stay here."
Heeter was in the gym at the high school when his wife, Jenny, called to tell him the tornado hit their house.
"It was about 10:20 p.m. when she called," Heeter said. "She said our house got hit. ... I got in the van and got back there as fast as I could.
"It's unbelievable. Especially in the light. It was bad last night, but unbelievable this morning."
Another one of Spiteal's neighbor's, Missy Cleveland, was not at home during the tornado, but also was shocked by the destruction caused by the tornado.
"Obviously, there will have to be a lot of rebuilding," said Cleveland, whose home sustained roof and window damage. "But no one was injured. Material things can be replaced. God was looking out for everyone here."
More than 200 emergency personnel, including police and fire, were in and around the area this morning, helping in the recovery.
Power was out throughout areas of Nappanee, although Dave Tompos, who lives just south of NorthWood High School, said his power was on.
Tompos, who owns two buildings in Nappanee, drove around the area and said several abandoned buildings were destroyed.
"It's like the area has been bombed several times," said Slocum.
In parts of Nappanee, homes were destroyed; debris, limbs and powerlines lined the street
A state of emergency was called in Nappanee and, of this morning, was still in effect.
Have a news tip? Email [email protected] or Call/Text 360-922-3092