For many in Indiana, the damage caused by the March 31 storms and tornadoes seemed unimaginable, but for Jon and Diane Adams, the destruction was all too real. The Adams emerged from their bedroom closet late Friday night to find their home ravaged by the tornado that hit their neighborhood. Their back doors had been blown open and the wind gusts knocked one of their interior walls completely out of alignment, rendering the home structurally unsound. The Adams’ home sustained damage to its roof and had several windows broken, as well as damage to three of their cars.
Jon and Diane have lived in this house for nearly 20 years, but now find themselves staying with family as they work to get their home repaired after suffering major damage.
“The important thing is that my wife and I were uninjured,” said Jon. Both Jon and Diane were unharmed, and neither of their children were home during the storms. “When we look at the other [destroyed] homes around us, things could have been much worse.”
Red Cross damage assessment volunteers were on the scene to assess the level of damage to the Adams’ home and were able to take the time to explain the process to Jon and Diane. They walked Jon and Diane through the recovery process and made them aware of the recovery center that had been set up down the street from their home where they could receive further assistance.
Throughout the weeks following the tornadoes, Red Cross volunteers have worked tirelessly to ensure everyone whose home was damaged or destroyed was being taken care of. Damage assessment volunteers spent days walking through affected communities, documenting the damage they saw, and speaking to the owners of each home. This information was crucial to the overall Red Cross disaster relief effort, as nearly 300 homes were critically damaged or destroyed by the tornadoes throughout Indiana.
The Indiana Region of the American Red Cross distributed over 3500 meals to those impacted by the storms and had shelters and resource centers established in affected counties. Although the recovery process is far from over for many who lost their homes, the strength and resiliency of these communities in the face of disaster has served as an incredible motivation for everyone. If you are interested in becoming a Red Cross volunteer so that you can support your community in the wake of a disaster, visit redcross.org/volunteer to learn more.
Written by Regional Communications Manager, Matthew Kline.