Storm system claims one life, causes widespread damage
Aug. 13—GOSHEN — More than 4,400 Northern Indiana Public Service Company customers were out of power in Goshen Thursday morning due to storms, while the area is still under a heat advisory through the day.
Thousands more residents had no electricity across Elkhart, Kosciusko, LaGrange, Noble and St. Joseph counties.
An Elkhart man also lost his life in a crash as a result of the storm Wednesday night.
Andrew Sickels, 34, was driving a motorcycle when he struck a tree that had fallen into the 2800 block of Henke Street around 10:40 p.m., Elkhart police said in a news release. Police said the tree had fallen as a result of storms. Sickels died at the scene.
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Indiana 211 collecting wind damage reports from Elkhart County
Elkhart County residents impacted by strong winds Wednesday night are asked to contact Indiana 211 to report damages and help with a damage assessment.
Local officials and the National Weather Service are working to determine if the area experienced straight-line winds or a possible tornado, according to a statement from the Indiana Department of Homeland Security. At least 10 homes are known to have experienced damage at this time.
As of 3 p.m., more than 19,000 people were without power in Elkhart County and more than 30,000 overall across the state.
To help establish a comprehensive assessment of damages, residents with damage can call 211 or visit the Indiana 211 website.
Amid the power outages, many customers might not get the lights back on until Thursday night or Friday morning, according to NIPSCO estimates on the company's website.
NIPSCO's site listed the following outages in the local area, totaling more than 12,000 outages, as of 5 p.m.
—Bristol — 2,241
—Cromwell — 39
—Elkhart — 7
—Goshen — 1,806
—Howe — 18
—LaGrange — 26
—Middlebury — 2,604
—Milford — 2
—Millersburg — 2
—Mishawaka — 17
—Nappanee — 64
—New Paris — 1
—Shipshewana — 741
—Syracuse — 1,409
—Topeka — 10
—Wakarusa — 11
—Wolcottville — 8
Indiana-Michigan Power's website reported outages on a county-by-county basis, showing 6,838 customers were out in Elkhart County as of 5 p.m. Thursday, as well as 4,198 in St. Joseph County but fewer than five in Noble County.
Megan Dodson, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service of Northern Indiana, indicated from survey results obtained by her office said that 60 to 70 mph winds were consistent with damage reports.
"A lot of the larger trees that were downed were in sandy soils (with full leaves that act like a parachute, particularly after a period of heavy rain) and many of the largest (3-6 ft diameter tree trunk) had rotted in the center," Dodson said by email. "A lot of the structural damage we saw to houses, buildings, etc. were caused by trees or debris flying into the house, which isn't uncommon in straight line wind events."
Dodson added that Goshen, for July, had received 1.68 inches of rain, which was 1.99 inches below normal. However, for August, as of Wednesday at midnight, Goshen had received 2.24 inches.
Among affected local services, schools were closed, as well as the Elkhart County Courthouse in Goshen. Due to a lack of internet service, criminal case hearings in Circuit Court, which were scheduled to be held in the courthouse, were moved to a courtroom at the Elkhart County Correctional Complex for the morning session.
Also, the Elkhart County Highway Department's phones are not working, so County Commissioner Suzanne Weirick says callers should dial 911 to report downed trees or other emergencies.
While the power outages persist, the National Weather Service has forecasted a high temperature of 89 degrees for Thursday with heat index values as high as 102. A chance for more rain and thunderstorms was also predicted for later in the afternoon.
A heat advisory remained in effect through 8 p.m.
NIPSCO estimated power would be fully restored in Bristol, Goshen, Middlebury, Milford, Nappanee, New Paris, Shipshewana, Syracuse and Wakarusa by Friday morning. Customers in Howe could be back up by midnight, according to the site.
The city of Elkhart has opened three cooling centers for residents to escape the heat and get access to electricity Thursday. The sites are:
* Salvation Army, 300 N. Main St., until 4 p.m.
* Pierre Moran Pavilion, 119 Wolf Ave., until 6 p.m.
* McNaughton Pavilion, 701 Arcade Ave.
The city of Goshen is working to open cooling centers in the city. Mayor Jeremy Stutsman said the sites the city initially intended to use are among the places that don't have power, so alternatives are now being considered.
Aimee Ambrose can be reached at aimee.ambrose@goshennews.com or 574-533-2151, ext. 240316. Follow her on Twitter at @aambrose_TGN.
