JEFFERSONVILLE, Ind. — As an immense clean up effort begins in several Jeffersonville subdivisions on Wednesday, the National Weather Service (NWS) in Louisville confirmed a single-track, preliminary EF-1 tornado struck the area Tuesday night.
Among the hardest hit neighborhoods are Brookhollow, Boulder Creek, Steeplechase and Crystal Springs, Jeffersonville Mayor Mike Moore said.
“You can see the destruction back here. It's pretty severe,” Moore said. “But when you can come through this without any fatalities, I consider Jeffersonville to be very fortunate.”
During the course of Tuesday’s storms, Moore said ten people were hurt—but none were severely injured.
“Nobody was dealing with any life threatening issues,” Moore, who’s been mayor for more than ten years, said. “You learn a little bit each time you go through something like this, and we were pretty quick to respond.”
Crews have worked around the clock, Moore said, since the storm hit around 6 p.m. Tuesday, including overnight.
“If you ever wanted to say a prayer (you) think you got answered, I think it got answered last night,” Moore said. “Somebody was watching out for us and I believe it's the man upstairs.”
According to the Jeffersonville Police Department, initial assessments indicate "significant damage" with reports of 122 structures impacted, 8 destroyed, 9 sustained major damage, 23 sustained minor damage, and 82 were affected.
“We've had one person, I'm told, that reached out and needed assistance for [Tuesday] night and probably [Wednesday] night as well,” Moore said. “We've made sure that person's getting taken care of with their small child.”
“The way the sound was—it was like it was coming very quickly. And it just got deep and grumbly, if that makes sense,” Marnie Kopytek, an affected Jeffersonville homeowner, said. “I wouldn't say it sounded like a train necessarily like they say, but it just was different.”
Kopytek said she noticed a difference this morning when the sunrise, normally blocked by a line of trees in her backyard, came shining through her house—the top of the tree line had been completely sheared off by strong winds.
She said neighbors she barely knew rushed to help her.
“I was absolutely blown away. Like at one point, I was moved to tears because there were neighbors that came from deep in the neighborhood to help. There were so many groups of people coming, asking ‘What can I do?’” Kopytek said. “It was very heartwarming to see a community come together and support each other like that. I was like, ‘Wow. This is a good place to be, a really great neighborhood.'”
Still somewhat shocked by the storm, she said neighbors and surrounding areas got hit much worse than she did.
“It's just unimaginable. I feel so lucky. I mean, all of us are so lucky, our whole neighborhood, nobody was injured,” Kopytek said. “And even the neighborhood in Buckner, where I used to live, nobody was injured.”
NSW confirmed an EF-1 tornado struck Jeffersonville Tuesday night, with wind speeds reaching more than 100 miles per hour. Fortunately, there have been no reported fatalities, with only 6 minor injuries.
“It took a direct path through the east end of our city,” Moore said.
Moore said affected homeowners should be aware of potential scams.
“[I] want to protect people from a lot of the contractors that show up all the sudden from out of state,” he said. “I would warn people to be careful. There's an element out there that looks to take advantage of this time. Don't just write a check and sign a contract with somebody you don't know anything about.”
“I would just be wary,” Kopytek said. “I used to be an insurance adjuster, actually. So be wary of people who come to the door because they might be legit, but they might not.”
Residents in need of assistance are urged to contact the Red Cross at 1-800-REDCROSS (733-2767). Additionally, individuals and families are directed to report any damages to the Indiana 211 authority at 1-866-211-9966.
Make it easy to keep up-to-date with more stories like this. Download the WHAS11 News app now. For Apple or Android users.
Have a news tip? Email assign@whas11.com, visit our Facebook page or Twitter feed.