WHEATFIELD, Ind. (WNDU) – A tornado that started in Illinois and crossed state lines into Indiana late Tuesday night left a Wheatfield family displaced, dealing with a house stripped of siding and roofing, shattered windows, holes in the roof and water damage.
Kyle St. Onge, the homeowner, said he was about an hour away when the storm came through and could not reach the property immediately.
“By the time I got here, I’m about an hour drive, everything was already done, and there was powerlines down and I couldn’t even get over here,” St. Onge said. “I had to park across the street and had to walk through the grass.”
St. Onge said family members inside the home had received weather alerts and took shelter in the basement before the tornado arrived. No injuries were reported.
“They were all downstairs, everyone got out safe — we were lucky about that,” St. Onge said. “Everyone was in the basement, so fortunate to be standing here after all this.”
Next door to the home, a solar farm sustained significant damage. Winds tore apart numerous solar panels, with some landing on the family’s lawn.
St. Onge said the house has been without power since Tuesday night. As of Wednesday morning, the family had left the property to find food and a place to stay, including accommodations for three dogs.
“Somewhere where the insurance lets us stay, or we’re going to pay for everything and go down that route,” St. Onge said. “We got three dogs too, so whatever they can accommodate — we’re still looking around, it’s still early in the day, so we got time.”
St. Onge said he is eager to return to the home, which he has not yet lived in for a full year.
“Just ready to have all this fixed and be able to live in my house again,” he said.
Power outages remain ongoing in the area as downed trees have taken out power lines. The full extent of damage in the region is still being assessed.
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