Homeowners continue cleanup after EF-1 tornado ravages neighborhoods in Northwest Indiana

Laura Ramos said she grabbed her cat and hunkered down in her bathtub Tuesday after her phone sounded an alarm warning that a tornado was headed her way.

Moments later, a tornado with wind gusts of 86 to 110 mph tore through her Munster, Indiana, neighborhood, knocking down power lines, uprooting trees and buckling sidewalks. The National Weather Service confirmed the EF-1 tornado touched down on the north side of town.

“It’s true what they say that it sounds like a train going over your roof,” said Ramos, 59.

Indiana Gov. Mike Braun declared a state of emergency Thursday in response to widespread damage in Northwest Indiana from this week’s severe storms that brought flooding and tornadoes to the state. Weather officials also confirmed an EF-2 tornado touched down in St. John, Indiana.

“Hoosiers’ safety is my top priority,” Braun said in a statement. “Our state response is fully mobilized, resources are moving where they’re needed, and we will continue working around the clock to support every impacted community.”

Braun also deployed the Indiana National Guard to help communities in Lake County clear tree debris, according to the Lake County Homeland Security and Emergency Management Agency.

Ramos’ home was damaged when the tornado knocked down two of her trees, causing one to land on her house. On Thursday morning, her sister-in-law and brother-in-law drove in from Chicago to help her with the cleanup.

After the tornado passed, Ramos said she was overcome with emotion as she surveyed the damage to her neighborhood. She moved into her home in the 8400 block of Moraine Avenue in 2009 and said she barely recognized the area after the storm.

“I made the mistake of going on a walk around the block, and I broke down and cried because everybody’s front yards were flipped over,” she said.

Though she suffered damage to her roof, Ramos said it could have been much worse.

On Thursday afternoon, several of Ramos’ neighbors were seen sawing through fallen trees and raking up leaves and debris. The steady hum of generators could also be heard as residents worked to keep their homes powered.

Ramos said she only had a small generator with enough power to charge her cellphone.

Thousands remained without power Thursday after the severe storms knocked out service for a majority of customers.

NIPSCO said late Thursday morning it had restored service for 75,000 of the 313,000 electric customers who lost service. The utility service said it was the largest outage event in its history.

It was unclear how long it would take to restore power. Many residents in Munster and Hammond said they were prepared to remain without electricity through at least the weekend, while some expected the outages to last even longer.

At a Hammond gas station, cars lined up Thursday to fill gas cans to fuel generators keeping homes powered after the storm.

Gil Mellendorf, of Munster, stopped at the BP at 6906 Hohman Ave. to get gas for the generators at his home. The gas station was also running on generators.

Mellendorf said his street flooded during Tuesday’s storm, and his biggest concern was keeping the sump pump running to prevent his home from flooding.

“It’s a lot going on right now,” said Mellendorf, 67. “But we’re veterans when it comes to storms.”

Mellendorf said he had already spent more than $100 since Tuesday to keep his generator running, adding that a tank of fuel typically lasts about 10 hours.

Munster officials said power was restored in some parts of town, but crews were working long hours to fix remaining outages, and urged residents to make way for utility and emergency crews.

“We know this is a stressful time, and we’re grateful for your patience and cooperation,” town officials said in a statement. “A little space goes a long way in helping our crews get Munster back up and running safely.”