‘Direct hit’: Two confirmed dead in Lake Village tornado

LAKE VILLAGE – A supercell ripped across Northwest Indiana, spawning two tornadoes that touched down in Lake Village, Wheatfield and Knox.

According to the National Weather Service, one of the tornadoes was confirmed to have lasted an hour and 21 minutes, beginning at 6:18 p.m. and dissipating at 7:39 p.m. “This tornado tracked 36.6 miles beginning 5 miles west of Aroma Park, Illinois and dissipating 3 miles west of DeMotte, reaching an estimated peak intensity of EF-3 in the Aroma Park area,” according to the NWS.

Minutes after that tornado dissipated, the original supercell thunderstorm spawned another tornado that began at 7:43 p.m. and dissipated at 8:10 p.m. “This tornado tracked 10.3 miles across northern Jasper County, beginning 4 miles southwest of Wheatfield and dissipating 2 miles southeast of Dunns Bridge and is estimated to have a peak intensity of EF-1,” the NWS stated.

The NWS reported the first tornado initially touched down in the Illinois cities of Pontiac and Kankakee late Tuesday afternoon. Around 7 p.m. March 10, the storm moved into Indiana, slamming into Lake Village and destroying several homes and businesses. Among the businesses sustaining significant damages were the Citgo convenience store on US 41 and the Family Dollar store located at 8635 N. County Road 300W.

The Newton County coroner’s office reported an elderly couple was found dead when their home was destroyed by the tornado in the 8000 block of County Road 600W. Names have not been released as of this writing.

In a press conference held on March 11, Lori Postma, public information officer for the Lake Township Fire Department, firefighters were storm spotting prior to the event. Postma said the amount of mutual aid her department received was immeasurable, and they worked tirelessly until approximately 4 a.m. early Wednesday morning.

Postma stressed her community is resilient and remained optimistic Lake Village will bounce back from this tragedy.

“We will be working feverishly to bring our little town back to where it once was,” Postma said. “We’re a very strong community and we will be just fine.”

In a video released by the Newton County Sheriff’s Office on social media, Lake Township Fire Department Chief Rob Churchill reported that “Lake Village took a direct hit” from the storm.

North Newton Junior-Senior High School provided shelter for those displaced due to the storm, sending buses to the fire station to pick up anyone who needed a place to stay for the night.

Forty-three members Indiana Task Force 1 were activated and sent to Lake Village in the early morning hours on Wednesday to aid in search and rescue efforts as a result of the storm.

At Wednesday’s press briefing, a spokesperson for NIPSCO said approximately 12,000 customers were impacted by Tuesday’s storms, of which approximately 2,500 were in and around the Lake Village area. Approximately 70 utility poles were damaged in the storm and restoration efforts have been expedited, according to the spokesperson.

Abbey Rossiter, Newton County Commissioner, said the county’s focus is on helping those impacted from the storms and “ensuring that they receive the help and resources they need.” Rossiter said many have suffered “immeasurable loss and devastation” from the tornado.

Rossiter said any Newton County resident who needs assistance can call 211 or visit in211.org to report damage. She also noted there are many roads still impassible and residents should stay off the roads as much as possible.

Astral Auras, located at 304 E. Commercial Avenue in Lowell, will be holding a donation drive for those affected by the Lake Village tornado. They are looking for bottled water, non-perishable food, hygiene products, infant items, pet food and clothing among many other items. They can be reached at 219-696-3037 or online at facebook/AstralAurasLLC.

Damage was also reported in Wheatfield, most notably at a solar farm which took a direct hit from the tornado. According to the Jasper County Sheriff’s Office, the storm started to intensify around 7:10 p.m. and a tornado was confirmed to have touched down north of the intersection of County Road 1100 N and State Road 49 at around 7:56 p.m., damaging several trees and utility poles, along with multiple structures and residences. The sheriff’s office stated there were also some injuries reported.

Kankakee Valley High School has set up a temporary shelter for those displaced from the storm.

This article will be updated as needed.