Evansville Tornado of Nov 2005 – Remembering the Day it Struck
November 6, 2005 is a day the residents of Evansville, Indiana would love to forget. At least one tornado cut across Indiana near Evansville a few hours before the break of dawn, killing at least 22 people and injuring about 230. Other related storms caused untold damages and killed horses at a Kentucky race track as a line of severe thunderstorms crossed the area.
Cars Tossed All Over
Researchers who were looking for survivors among the ruins of copious mobile homes in Evansville said that a couple of trailers had been picked by the winds and tossed into a lake nearby.
According to Adam Groupey, the assistant director of emergencies for Evansville and Vanderburgh County, the Evansville Tornado touched down at around 2 a.m in Henderson County Kentucky. It then proceeded to Ohio River, hit an Evansville mobile home before moving into the Warrick County.
One of the residents who spoke with WFIE said that she witnessed the tornado pick up a car that carried the members of her family and toss it into a tree. She, however, said that no one was hurt in the incident.
Damage Beyond Words
Chad Bennet, the deputy fire chief in Warrick County remembers the extent of damage caused by Evansville Tornado. In his words, the damage was very very extensive and the scope of damage shocking.
Following Evansville Tornado, the whole of Indiana was placed under a state of emergency as the evacuation efforts got underway. Many of the residents remember the tornado as a storm that moved quickly, with a rush of wind that barely lasted 10 minutes.’ Joel Johnson, a resident of Evansville, said that the wind could be heard blowing like a train.
Authorities Blamed for Late Warnings
The National Weather Service had warned the residents of an impending tornado more than half an hour before it struck. However, may people were still sleeping and consequently missed the warning alerts. A section of the residents blames the authorities for setting off warning sirens when it was already a little too late. The warning sirens went off barely 10 minutes before Evansville Tornado touched down.
At least 17 people lost their lives in Vanderburgh County and 5 more from the neighboring Warrick County. In what was a chilling narration of their encounter, one of the survivors said that he found members of his family in the middle of a bean field.
The Evansville Tornado may be behind the residents of Evansville, but many of them are yet to forget the painful memories of losing their loved. It can only be hoped that the authorities will warn residents in good time should such an event occur in the future.
