Whiteland plans to rebuild after Friday's tornado — but it will take time

Residents and first responders were hard at work Monday clearing debris in what is expected to be a long process of rebuilding in Whiteland after the Johnson County community was hit by a tornado late Friday night.

Town and Johnson County officials said during a public meeting Monday afternoon that dozens of homes and businesses were affected and some critical infrastructure has been damaged.

“It’s going to be a long haul, but we are tough town,” Whiteland Police Chief Rick Shipp said. “We’re a small town and a lot of neighbors are helping each other.”

March 31 storm in Indiana: Here's where tornadoes struck in Indiana

16 homes destroyed, many more damaged in Johnson County

Johnson County’s Emergency Management Agency’s Director Stephanie Sichting said the tornado destroyed 16 homes with another 28 homes showing major damages and nearly 70 others with minor damage. Trees also were damaged and uprooted.

The National Weather Service said the tornado touched down at 11:33 p.m. just west of Centerline Road, south of Whiteland Road, and ripped along a 3.5 mile northeasterly path. The swath, which reached more than 300 yards at it widest across, cut across U.S. 31 and left the ground just east of I-65. The service said the storm range from EF-0 to Ef-3, with wind peaks of more than 130 miles per hour.

The town is under a curfew beginning tonight from 8 p.m. to 7 a.m. to keep the roads clear and keep people from moving around at night, Shipp said.

Thousands of Whiteland residents still without power; boil order remains

There were still about 3,300 residents of Whiteland without power Monday afternoon and a boil advisory indefinitely remains while crews work to restore the water supply’s pressure. Indiana American Water is letting the town use its lab to continue water testing to make sure residents receive clean water once the system is restored, Whiteland’s community development director Carmen Young said.

Assistance and support has been flowing into Whiteland, according to Town Council President Joe Sayler. He said he witnessed first responders from nearby towns and the county pitching in to help Whiteland residents. Johnson County Sheriff Duane Burgess said deputies have been working across the county and in Whiteland to pitch in to help.

“We’re very fortunate in Johnson County,” Burgess said. “All the agencies came together and responded over here.”

Help has also poured in from the public, to get everyone on the path to building everything back, Young said.

How to help tornado victims

The town established an assistance center at the Clark-Pleasant Community Schools Administration building on 50 Center Street for incoming donations.

It has also established a phone number for anyone who needs help or would like to offer assistance: 317-671-6521. An email may also be sent to whitelandtornadorelief@gmail.com

“We have so much being donated right now and that is fabulous,” Young said. “But where are we going to be in a month or two when we really need that help. Will they still be willing to donate a couple of months down the road? When we really need the help is when everyone kind of goes away.”

Sayler, the council president, said due to the infrastructure damage, he believes the town is eligible for state and federal assistance.

“I reached out to the Governor’s office Saturday morning and the emergency declaring came from state right away, Sayler said. “I issued local emergency declaration, too, which opens the gates to state and federal assistance.”

Police chief Shipp closed the public meeting reminding everyone that there may be road delays and detours and asked everyone to use patience.

“Remember, please remember these people are devastated in our community,” Shipp said. “Be patient with us and remember the people in your prayers that have lost everything.”

Karl Schneider is an IndyStar environment reporter. You can reach him at karl.schneider@indystar.com. Follow him on Twitter @karlstartswithk

IndyStar's environmental reporting project is made possible through the generous support of the nonprofit Nina Mason Pulliam Charitable Trust.

This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Whiteland tornado response ramping up following weekend storms