Cleanup efforts continue after strong storms impact area Tuesday

A barn on Akins Lane was flattened in Tuesday’s storms

No injuries are being reported at this time, but several homes and buildings in the Bee Creek area of Whitley County were damaged Tuesday evening when tornadic-like winds knocked down dozens of large trees.

“From everything that I know, it came from across the other side of Frankfort School Road, and then into our property here on Akins Lane,” said Sheriff Bill Elliotte, whose family lives in one of the hardest-hit neighborhoods.

Elliotte said that the nearby Stoney Fork neighborhood also sustained considerable damage. His property, as well as those around him, had several trees that were either uprooted or snapped in half. Damage to roofs and siding were also visible.

One house on Akins Lane, which belongs to Elliotte’s mother-in-law, took a direct hit as a large tree crashed on top of it, caving in a portion of the roof. Nobody was in the home at the time of the incident.

Another nearby property had a large horse barn that was completely destroyed by the winds. Luckily, the horses had been moved to safety before the barn was hit.

When asked about whether he knows specifically what type of storm it was that did so much damage to his neighborhood, Elliotte said, “I have heard that it was straight-line winds, but some people have photos and video of the storm showing rotation.”

CUC crews working to repair a damaged utility pole

County Judge Executive Pat White, Jr., who was out late Tuesday night assisting crews with the initial cleanup efforts, said there is a lot of speculation about whether or not it was actually a tornado that blew through the area, but he did say that the end result was the same for those affected.

“As far as damage goes, it was pretty isolated,” White explained. “We had several homes damaged, some campers turned over, and power lines down.”

White said that all roadways have been re-opened, and that Emergency Management Director Jerry Rains is currently out in the impacted areas conducting further assessments. He also commented that he is very proud of the quick response by all of the agencies who have worked together during this emergency situation.

One of those agencies is the Oak Grove Volunteer Fire Department, who, along with members of the Woodbine Volunteer Fire Department, workers from both the state and the county, and utilities contractors, have been doing a lot of the heavy lifting to clear roadways and get people safely back into their homes.

“There were about 18-20 trees across Bee Creek Road,” Oak Grove Fire Chief Kevin Gibbs said of the chaotic scene Tuesday night. “It was probably about two-and-a-half hours before we could get it passable again.”

Gibbs said the initial call about the situation came in around 8 p.m. Tuesday, and it was around midnight before he and his crew returned to the fire station. He estimated around 20 people total were there, working to remove debris.

As local officials await definite word from the National Weather Service on whether Tuesday’s severe weather event included an actual tornado, property owners are just beginning the work of repairing and rebuilding. Utility crews are also still hard at work making sure that downed power lines are addressed, and that service is fully restored as quickly as possible.