Over 170 homes in Whiteland were affected by the tornado that ripped through the town Friday, including 16 that were completely destroyed.
Whiteland town officials, law enforcement and emergency personnel gave an update to the public on the aftermath of the EF-3 tornado damage throughout various areas in town. As cleanup continues, the town issued a disaster declaration and set a curfew for the entire town from 8 p.m. to 7 a.m. through April 9.
Stephanie Sichting, Johnson County Emergency Management director, conducted an assessment of the damage in town following the tornado this weekend. A total of 179 homes were damaged by the storm, she said. 66 homes were “affected,” meaning they had slight damage such as shingles missing. 69 homes sustained minor damages, 28 homes had major damage, and 16 homes were destroyed.
“We’ve talked to people in two of the homes that rode it out,” Sichting said. “We’re thankful there were no injuries because looking at those destroyed homes, it’s amazing that those people made it through.”
Sichting said she is working with the Indiana Department of Homeland Security to get housing vouchers for displaced families where they can stay in hotels temporarily. Town officials did not have an exact number of displaced families or a dollar amount of the damage estimates.
Earlier Monday afternoon, Whiteland Town Council President Joseph Sayler declared a Local Disaster Emergency for all of incorporated Whiteland in response to the widespread devastation caused by the tornado and storms late Friday. Under IC 1-14-3-29, this declaration activates all local and inter-jurisdictional emergency plans and authorizes all aid and assistance available under such plans. The purpose of this declaration is to enable all aid and assistance available to the citizens of Whiteland and its local government, town officials said in a statement.
In response to reports of theft and trespassing, Sayler said he issued a Nighttime Travel Restriction beginning Monday from 8 p.m. to 7 a.m. for non-essential and non-emergency travel. This order is at the request of Police Chief Rick Shipp and Fire Chief Eric Funkhouser and is to prevent nighttime trespass, theft or property damage to unoccupied and storm-damaged homes, he said.
The order exempts travel for work, school, religious activities, the media, medical care, people fleeing emergencies, the homeless, emergency responders, law enforcement and those working on public utilities or governmental tasks. Willful violations can be enforced by civil violation by the town, as well as any criminal penalties that accompany trespass, theft, conversion or any violation of the Indiana Criminal Code, town officials said.
“Our law enforcement have worked their butts off …” Sayler said Monday. “Don’t be out unless you need to be out, and don’t go out near the affected homes.”
The order is in effect until April 9, unless rescinded before that. Sayler intends to rescind this order as soon as practically possible based on the security of the citizens and the availability of law enforcement resources.
Town officials have also established a helpline for residents who need help or want to help people impacted by the storm. For the helpline, people can call or text 317-671-6521 or email [email protected].
Carmen Young, community development director, said the Clark-Pleasant Administration building at 50 Center St., Whiteland, will become the central Family Assistance Center. This is where people can drop off donations, and it will serve as the central hub for volunteers. Anyone who wants to volunteer with cleanup can come to that building to learn how they can help.
This building is intended to serve as a central location to hopefully keep everything in one place, Young said.
“The last 48 to 60 some hours have been quite a whirlwind for all of us,” she said. “It is been amazing to see the community support that we have already received and continue to receive, not only from our local community but our other municipalities in the county state entities as well.”
The Johnson County Community Foundation set up a fund to collect monetary donations, which can be accessed via their webite at jccf.org.
Public safety officials from all over the county have been working around the clock since Friday, Shipp said. He and Johnson County Sheriff Duane Burgess asked residents to remain patient while navigating around road closures and traffic blockage from the storm damage. Burgess said he was aware a lot of county roads and residential roads are taking on a lot of traffic.
Shipp, Burgess and the other officials said they are grateful for the help from other agencies and people in neighboring municipalities.
“This community, really surprises me, how they came together, all residents of Johnson County to help out. I’m truly amazed,” Burgess said.
This is just the beginning stages as Whiteland begins to rebuild the devastated areas over the coming months. Sayler and Young could not give estimates on how much this could cost the town, but said they will apply for federal and state assistance.
Shipp said the town will grow back stronger through this.
“We’re a tough town, we’re a small town,” Shipp said.
