For some, a house is just four walls and a roof, a place to hang their hat and a place to rest after a long day at work.
However, for the Harkers, whose Idaville residence was hit and partially destroyed by a tornado Sunday, their house is a home filled with memories of their son growing up, a newlywed couple starting out and many cherished, sentimental moments in time.
According to a report by the National Weather Service, an EF-0 tornado touched down north of Idaville Sunday, July 23, between 3:20 p.m. and 3:50 p.m. The tornado began its path of destruction near the intersection of 1150 East and County Road 475 North and headed southeast on a path of approximately 1.8 miles long, with the tornado having a width of 50 yards. The peak winds reported for the tornado were 85 miles per hour.
White County Emergency Management Agency Director Roberta Yerk was contacted shortly after the tornado was called in by a resident in that area and jumped into action in assessing the damage and what was needed for the areas affected.
“There’s two houses that were damaged,” Yerk said Monday. “One is destroyed. And there was a barn that was affected. But other than that, nobody was hurt. Everybody is fine.”
On her way to the area, Yerk reached out to the American Red Cross to assist the affected homeowners.
“I got ahold of Red Cross right away on my way out to check the damage. They came in. They will help the family with clothing, medicine, a place to stay until they find another place to live,” Yerk said.
Sunday’s tornado came with no warning whatsoever beforehand, according to Yerk.
“There was no indication,” Yerk said. “It lasted maybe five to 10 minutes.”
by Daniel Thompson
July 25, 2017
