Toppled power lines. Caved-in roofs. Lumbering trees crashed into the Earth. And residents left stunned.
These were just a few of the images greeting Gary this morning after a tornado whipped through the city Wednesday evening, devastating dozens of homes in the Tolleston neighborhood and leaving thousands of Northwest Indiana residents without power.
By Thursday morning, residents were still coping with the damage, as flooded streets, garages caved in on cars, and debris littered the ground created an eerie scene.
Orlando Wright, a Gary resident who lives near the 1800 block of West 21st Avenue, said he was standing in his doorway Wednesday evening when he saw a “rushing wind” roar by.
“I blinked, and it was gone,” he said about a power line right outside his house. “It snapped it like a twig.”
Wright has been without power since Wednesday night and has a generator running in his garage.
According to NIPSCO, Wednesday’s thunderstorms caused broken poles, cross arms, and downed trees and power lines within its service area, resulting in electric outages.
Approximately 2,900 customers remained without power Thursday morning. The most affected communities include Gary, Highland, Merrillville, Portage, and Valparaiso, the utility company said.
“Due to the extent of the damage, an estimate of when power will be restored is not able to be determined at this time,” NIPSCO said Thursday morning.
Gary Mayor Eddie Melton thanked the city’s police, fire, and general services teams for their response.
“We want to assure the residents of Gary that our teams are working tirelessly on post-storm recovery efforts. We are committed to assisting those impacted and appreciate your patience as we continue this process,” Melton said.
“Stay safe. We are in this together, Gary,” he added.
In an effort to support residents displaced by the storm, city officials have set up an overnight shelter at 4101 Washington St. (Monroe Center) Only one resident was transported to the hospital, and no updates on her condition were immediately available, said Mark Terry, deputy chief of the Gary Fire Department.
Gary fire and police officials swept through the neighborhood overnight, conducting multiple searches. They found no other victims, and all residents were accounted for within an hour of the initial call, Terry said.
In the 2100 block of Taft Street, two men sat outside a home with a chainsaw at 7:30 a.m. Thursday, cutting a towering tree that had fallen in front of the house.
Some of the most severe damage occurred between the 2100 block of Whitcomb Street and the 2100 block of Hendricks Street, where police had the area blocked off. Several power lines had toppled over and onto homes.
By Thursday afternoon, the National Weather Service confirmed that a tornado did, in fact, sweep through Gary.
“Preliminary information from our survey team indicates a tornado of EF-1 intensity impacted parts of Gary,” the weather service said. EF1 tornadoes have estimated wind gusts of 86-110 mph.
Lake County Councilman and former Gary City Councilman Ronald Brewer described the devastation as surreal.
“Almost didn’t seem real,” Brewer said, recounting the aftermath he witnessed on his way home from work Wednesday night. “Starting from Chase Street to Whitcomb Street, I saw more trees, debris in the streets, and roofs torn off with shingles scattered around.”
In the aftermath, Brewer urged residents to be cautious.
“Still be careful,” he said. “There are still some power lines down. Proceed with caution.”
Despite the destruction, Wright remained grateful.
“Thank God for your life. Things can be replaced,” he said.
This story has been updated.