Bloomington, Ind. mobile home park destroyed in Wednesday storm
My evening began by relaxing on the front porch with an Upland Wheat, watching the storms roll in. My evening ended by talking with a 14-year-old boy who found himself trapped inside his toppled mobile home with his sister for 30 minutes before emergency personnel were able to pull him from the wreckage.
As I drove west on IN-45 toward the bad stuff, it was clear that the worst of the storm had done its damage just outside of town. There were trees down and debris all over downtown Bloomington, but nothing like the scenes out near the fairgrounds and the airport.
Emergency personnel said that six residents of the park had been taken to the hospital for minor injuries, and as of very early Thursday morning, there were no fatalities (except for a dog that I found in a field behind the mobile homes). Shockingly, all of this damage was done by strong gusts of wind. There were no reports of a tornado touching down in the area at the time. Regardless, many people lost their homes, including the property’s landlord, whose mobile home was wrapped around what was left of a large tree about 15 yards away from where it originally stood.
UPDATE: It has since been confirmed that an EF-1 tornado touched down in the area, and is likely to have caused the damage on the west side of Bloomington as well as damage in Bedford, Ind., about 15mi south.
Deputy Fire Chief Ed Terrell of the Van Buren County Fire Department surveys damage Wednesday after strong tornado-like winds destroyed homes inside the Mason Properties mobile home park west of Bloomington. Emergency personnel said that six people were treated at Bloomington Hospital for injuries and there were no fatalities as of early Thursday morning.
A mobile home is seen wrapped around a tree after strong tornado-like winds destroyed homes inside the Mason Properties mobile home park west of Bloomington on Wednesday.
Utility workers and emergency personnel search the wreckage for gas meters after strong tornado-like winds destroyed homes inside the Mason Properties mobile home park west of Bloomington on Wednesday.
Ty Breden, 14, (right) and two family members look toward what remains of Ty's toppled home after strong winds swept through Bloomington on Wednesday.
Ty Breden, 14, picks up a B.B. gun from the wreckage outside his toppled home just hours after strong tornado-like winds swept through the Mason Properties mobile home park west of Bloomington on Wednesday. "I just hurt my toe," Breden said. "But my sister had to get some stitches."
Part of a mobile home is seen wrapped around the undercarriage of a Ford Explorer after strong winds swept through the Mason Properties mobile home park on Wednesday.
Nearby residents survey the damage caused by tornado-like gusts of wind that swept through Bloomington on Wednesday.
Unbelieveable pictures and story.
Fantastic.
[...] unlike people had seen in decades with the worst of it being at Sam Mason Properties on West SR 45, where a mobile home park was nearly wiped off the map in the middle of the night. Those photos took a front seat to the rest of the photos I’d taken that [...]