Wicked Storm Ripped Through, Ravaging Southern Indiana

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May 26th, 2011 Permalink

As darkness fell, southern Indiana was pounded yet again by powerful storms. Tornado sirens were wailing and citizens were advised to take shelter immediately. In Warrick County, school activities were cancelled and most Wednesday night church services were as well as residents battened down the hatches and waited to see what the latest severe storm would bring. I was told that right as 90 to 105 mph wind gusts ripped through, the power went poof! At least 20,000 homes rode out the storm in utter darkness as the wind howled and houses were hammered with blowing debris. Thursday morning, Boonville, Indiana, residents awoke to downed power lines, trees on roofs, trees squashing houses, trees ripped from their roots and overturned. Decks, patios, missing siding, and chunks of roofs, as well as other debris was scattered on lawns, sidewalks and streets. Yet thank God they were fortunate for no one died. Haubstadt, Indiana, had the most damage. Evansville was slammed too. Not much was said about Boonville, but it appears to have been hit pretty darn hard! (Warning: I’m not much of a photographer) but here’s a little tour through Boonville, Indiana, a small town of good-hearted people. [25 Photos]

Help arrives for house with tree squashing it after storms in Boonville Indiana

At this time, the storm has not been called a tornado. It is thought to have been straight-line wind shears, microbursts, gusting from 90 to 105 mph. Here help arrives for a house with a huge tree squashing it after storms hammered Boonville, Indiana. Photo #1 by codepoet

house squashed by tree

Directly across from Boonville High School, on the students’ last day of school, they arrived to see this house squashed by a tree. Still, residents were fortunate that damage was not nearly so bad as so many tornado-ravaged areas thus far into 2011 throughout tornado alley. Photo #2 by codepoet



Boonville Indiana across from Boonville high school - storm and wind damage after storm ripped through at night

Help arrived a few hours after school started for this house squashed by an uprooted tree. Photo #3 by codepoet

tree down on house by high school

Anyone with a chainsaw or in the tree cutting business had a booming day and will continue to be swamped with work for quite some time. Photo #4 by codepoet

Trees and power lines down - 20,000 without power in southern indiana after storm

Downed power and telephone lines, as well as massive trees were part of the reason that curious people were told not to go out and about during the night. It’s a good thing that some did. Sometimes people stuck in the dark need help, awaiting Good Samaritans. Power was still cut off for about 20,000 Vectren customers. They worked through the night though. Photo #5 by codepoet

Bummer - storm damage in southern Indiana

Bummer – storm damage in southern Indiana, town of Boonville. Photo #6 by codepoet

another tree fell on another house in boonville IN

I’m not sure if anyone lives in this house, not too familiar with the area. Photo #7 by codepoet

Lots of clean up in Boonville Indiana after night storm rips through on May 25 2011 - this tree used to be over road

Lots of clean up in Boonville after a night storm ripped through on May 25, 2011. Someone had already broken out a chainsaw to cut limbs from this tree that had been over a road. Busy chainsaws could be heard all over the town. Photo #8 by codepoet

tree rips out by the roots during storm - then house next door catches fire - Indiana

Another tree ripped from its roots during the strong storm. After it fell, the house next door caught fire. Photo #9 by codepoet

tree fell over, then house caught fire, burnt down during storm

This was the burned out house the next morning. You gotta love firemen who go out to save people and fight fire while storms from hell are raging around them. Photo #10 by codepoet

Another giant tree attacking a house, trees down all over after storm rips through southern Indiana - Boonville

Another giant tree attacking a house; trees were down all over after another severe storm tore through southern Indiana. Photo #11 by codepoet

tree branch - more carpenter ants - storm ripped through southern indiana - boonville

Same house as above, but a different angle. The home owner, his contractor, and the tree remover told me that the dark substance showing on some broken tree branches was actually from carpenter ants and not lightning. Photo #12 by codepoet

tree branch pierced roof after killer storm ripped through evansville boonville indiana area

The huge tree branch pierced the roof after another killer storm ripped through the Evansville / Boonville area. This home owner invited me inside and upstairs to see. Sure enough, a limb had slammed through the roof and was poking down from the bedroom ceiling. Photo #13 by codepoet

You shall not pass - tree downs uprooted and blocking roadway and smashed house

Driving around only to come to another blocked street that practically shouted, “You shall not pass!” There seemed to be trees down, uprooted, and blocking roadways and smashing homes all over Boonville. Photo #14 by codepoet

lines down, massive trees uprooted, storm may 25 southern indiana

I had to get closer to the trees ripped from the ground. Photo #15 by codepoet

oops, getting close to downed power lines in boonville indiana after severe wind gust 90 - 105 mph rip through area

Oops, I got a little too close to downed lines. Photo #17 by codepoet

elderly woman trapped inside house after storm uproots trees - massive wind damage in boonville indiana

The neighbor came out and told me a story. She was in her bathroom, taking cover in the bathtub, in the pitch darkness after the power went poof and she was praying hard. I’m sure it sounded terribly scary in this neighborhood. Numerous trees were uprooted and blocking the road. Photo #18 by codepoet

dead houses and trees - lady trapped in house after trees fall during night storm Boonville IN

The lady who lived in this house was trapped inside and it’s not hard to see why. Either police or firemen came during the darkness while debris was wildly blowing about and had to break in to rescue her. Photo #19 by codepoet

storm - boonville indiana -many trees down on houses after night storm

What a bizarre sight, to see the huge base of roots from two trees sticking up like that. Gusting winds literally ripped the trees from their roots. Photo #20 by codepoet

Not a tornado but something wicked ripped through Boonville Indiana on May 25 2011

If this was not a tornado, something wicked ripped through Boonville, Indiana, on May 25, 2011. Photo #21 by codepoet

wind gusts - straight line winds 90 - 105 mph boonville storms

More signs of storm damage. There were several houses, power lines and places of business that were roped off and bandaged with yellow police tape. Photo #22 by codepoet

Part of huge tree slams into two houses

1/3 of a super, massive, monster tree was ripped off, falling across a fence, hitting the roof, and then over another fence, and onto the next neighbor in line. 🙁 Photo #23 by codepoet

Escapees from the petting zoo after the storm

Employees at Scales Lake told me the road was closed, trees were down everywhere. These critters were escapees from the petting zoo after the storm. Photo #24 by codepoet

another petting zoo escapee - donkey by trash

This donkey, another escapee from the petting zoo, made it pretty far from its “home.” Thankfully, most of the people in Boonville still have their homes. By the grace of God or good fortune, not one person was killed or even seriously injured. Photo #25 by codepoet



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