A home on the west side of Matthews Road near Watson Road east of Greenwood was damaged by high winds in a tornado on March 31, 2006.
Houses east of Greenwood buckled.
The roofs and walls of industrial buildings were ripped away.
Construction trailers were smashed, semis were blown off roadways and power lines were knocked down.
Sixteen years ago, a tornado left a path of destruction through northern Johnson County. The F2 tornado packing winds from 113 to 157 mph touched down around 7:20 p.m. on March 31, 2006, east of Park Drive. The twister crossed Interstate 65 and caused damage to businesses and rural homes along several roads located between Main Street and County Line Road, including Combs Road and Graham Road, before entering extreme southeastern Marion County, passing south of Acton. It then entered Shelby County and was reported to be a strong tornado with a width of four-tenths of a mile near London, according to the National Weather Service.
“It sounded like a train and then trees were flying up everywhere. There was all kinds of stuff in the air,” Garrett Gieseking, a northeastern Johnson County resident, told the Daily Journal in 2006.
The tornado was on the ground for 25 minutes, carving a 17-mile path through central Indiana and causing $8 million in damage across the state. Locally, the tornado was on the ground for seven miles and caused $3 million in damage. Forty-four homes and businesses were damaged, five of which were severely damaged and three of which were destroyed, according to Daily Journal archives.
No one was injured in Johnson County, but one person was injured in Shelby County when her car rolled over or was tossed off of Interstate 74, according to the National Weather Service.
The 2006 tornado is just one example of the many times severe weather has impacted the county, and is one of the many reasons why local residents should have plans in place in case severe weather happens here, officials say.
This week is Indiana Severe Weather and Flood Preparedness Week, which runs from March 13-19, said Stephanie Sichting, Johnson County Emergency Management Agency director. The agency works closely with public safety agencies to do the county’s emergency planning for a variety of situations, both natural and man-made, and also advocates for the creation of emergency plans.
The state has already had its fair share of severe weather events this year, including two tornados. Several parts of the state have also experienced or are currently experiencing flooding, Mary Moran, director of emergency management and preparedness for the Indiana Department of Homeland Security said in a news release.
“It’s a common problem for much of our state this time of year. But just because it’s common, it doesn’t mean you shouldn’t prepare for potential flood waters,” Moran said.
Disasters not uncommon
Nearly 20 tornadoes have touched down in Johnson County since 1950, the first year the National Weather Service began keeping detailed records of all tornadoes.
Twisters have touched down throughout the county, with a F3 being the highest magnitude recorded locally, National Weather Service data shows.
Sichting’s biggest concern is a devastating tornado like the EF5 that decimated Joplin, Missouri in 2011 impacting the county, especially in populated areas. The Joplin tornado killed 158 people and injured more than 1,000, and caused catastrophic damage to the city of 50,000.
A twister like that is a scary thought, she said.
“I hope and pray it never happens here. … You just have to be prepared for changing conditions,” Sichting said.
But preparing for severe weather does not only mean preparing for tornadoes, but also for flooding — something the county has had more experience with. The flood of June 2008 flooded homes and businesses across the county, closed roads and destroyed bridges. It also eroded dams in the Prince’s Lakes and Lamb Lake areas, and led to more than 400 water rescues. The flood caused more than $100 million in damage across the county, according to Daily Journal archives.
As waters rose during the flood in Franklin, emergency management evacuated several families who lived south of Greenlawn Cemetery to a nearby church that was on higher ground. This strategy initially worked, but then the people had to be evacuated again as the waters continued to get higher. Luckily, the waters receded, but it was after the people were moved again, Sichting said.
After the flood, the county, along with its cities and towns worked to mitigate future flooding issues. The county is more prepared now, but it could always happen again, she said.
Prepare for the unknown
There are a variety of things county residents can do to prepare for disasters.
Having disaster kits and plans set up ahead of time is important, as disasters can happen at any time, and because no one should rely solely on emergency management for aid, Sichting said.
One of the first things people should do is create a disaster kit with supplies to last up to three days. Three days’ worth of supplies could help you ride out the aftermath of a disaster if it takes a while for first responders to get to you, she said.
The kits should also be inside your home, and not left in your vehicle, because there’s a chance your vehicle may be gone once the storm has passed.
“You may have what’s left of your house, but your vehicles may be gone so you can’t get out,” Sichting said.
Businesses need to have a plan, too, because not only do they have workers, they may also have customers who will need shelter when a disaster strikes. Several businesses in the past have said if a disaster strikes, they planned to contact emergency management for help. There’s only so much the agency can do, and first responders may not be able to get there for a while, she said.
“You have to shelter in place until we can get those responders out there,” Sichting said.
Everyone should also have evacuation plans prepared no matter what disaster may strike. The plans should include how to get out, where to go and how to stay in contact with family if there’s no cell phone service, she said.
When it comes to flooding, drivers should keep the phrase “Turn Around Don’t Drown” in mind. Cars can float in two feet of water, and just two inches of water can move a car off the road. If you see standing water, you should take another route to avoid it, according to the Indiana Department of Homeland Security.
Know where to turn
One crucial part of preparation is to have multiple ways to receive emergency alerts.
If a tornado touches down, outdoor warning sirens will sound across most of the county, but not everywhere has sirens. Most municipalities, including Bargersville, Edinburgh, Franklin, Greenwood, New Whiteland and Trafalgar have sirens, and the areas covered by the fire departments in Amity and White River Township have sirens as well. The cities, towns and fire protection districts purchased the sirens for their areas, Sichting said.
The county does not own any sirens, meaning any areas outside of these do not have any sort of outdoor warning system, she said.
Even if you are in an area with outdoor sirens, you should still have other ways to get emergency alerts, such as a weather radio. The outdoor sirens are meant for when people are outdoors, not necessarily when they are inside, Sichting said.
“You may hear it raining and storming, but by the time you hear what some say is that train coming through, it may be too late,” she said. “(A weather radio) will give you enough warning with those alerts to at least get your family members in an inside room in your home to seek shelter.”
There are also no public shelters in the county for residents to go to when a tornado approaches. Officials do not want people on the road when a tornado comes, especially at night, Sichting said.
“My biggest fear is that people will try to run from and get caught at night,” she said. “The deadliest ones are at night.”
People are better off taking shelter in interior rooms in their homes or below ground than trying to outrun a twister, Sichting said.
After a tornado strikes, you should try to stay put because there could be debris and downed power lines around you. You should wait for first responders to clear a path for you as they know the area, she said.
Regardless, it’s not a matter of if it will happen, but when. Emergency management has tried to mitigate everything as best they can, but it is still crucial for people to be prepared, Sichting said.
MAKING A DISASTER KIT
During severe emergencies, it could take up to three days for help to arrive. Making a disaster kit can help support your family during that time, the Indiana Department of Homeland Security says.
Your kit should include the following, at minimum:
- Food and water — You should have a three day supply, and it should include one gallon of water per person a day.
- Battery-operated all-hazards radio — These radios can receive more than 60 types of emergency alerts.
- Flashlight
- Extra batteries for radio and flashlight
- First aid kit
- Extra clothing, sturdy shoes, rain gear, blankets and personal hygiene items
- List of emergency phone numbers
- Important documents — You should have copies of photo IDs, social security cards, insurance and banking information.
- Cash — Any cash you keep should be small bills, because power outages can limit the ability to use ATMs and credit cards.
- Special items — These items should include baby formula, insulin, life-sustaining medication and pet supplies.
Source: Indiana Department of Homeland Security
