A confirmed EF-1 tornado struck southern Indiana during overnight storms, leaving residents along West State Road 256 in Jefferson County facing damaged homes, fallen trees, downed power lines, and weeks of cleanup.
The National Weather Service confirmed an EF-1 tornado in Jefferson and Scott counties with estimated winds of 110 mph, according to WAVE. The station reported significant damage in the Hanover area.
Along West State Road 256, trees that had stood for decades were pulled from the ground or snapped in half. Some buildings were ripped apart or flattened, and power lines were twisted and sagging.
At one property, three trees came down. One landed directly on the home of Donna Duke, who had taken shelter in her basement minutes before the tornado hit.
The Tree Damage Reached Inside The Home
When Duke came back upstairs, she told WAVE she looked out the window and could only see branches.
The branches and debris blocked off some upstairs rooms. Inside were belongings tied to two family members Duke lost in 2021, including items she feared had been destroyed by the tornado damage.
Duke spent Thursday cleaning up with relatives who live nearby. She told WAVE she was grateful the tornado’s damage stopped where it did and did not continue into her children’s homes.
Family Members Recovered Keepsakes From The Debris
Duke’s daughter, Debbie Hardy, drove over from work and climbed through the tree damage to get inside.
She helped recover guitars, sports banners, and a family photo album from the blocked rooms.
After a tornado, the first safe trip back inside a damaged home often becomes a search for the things insurance cannot replace. Photos, instruments, documents, heirlooms, and family records can matter as much as the roof and walls.
Cleanup Can Bring New Hazards After The Storm
The CDC says the safest place at home during a tornado is the interior part of a basement. If there is no basement, residents should move to an inside room without windows on the lowest floor, such as a hallway, bathroom, or closet.
After a tornado, the CDC says people should stay away from fallen power lines and call the electric company to report them. It also advises staying out of damaged buildings until local authorities say they are safe to enter.
For Duke and her neighbors, recovery now means clearing trees, checking structural damage, protecting what can be saved, and staying alert around power lines, broken glass, and unstable parts of damaged homes.