Indiana tornado damages library, fire station, courthouse

In Whiteland, both the Clark-Pleasant branch of Johnson County Public Library and the Whiteland Fire Department sustained heavy damage. Both buildings are closed indefinitely, officials said.

In Franklin, the Johnson County Courthouse sustained damage to the clock tower that appears to be cosmetic, preliminarily. The courthouse and the prosecutor's office buildings were still without power on Sunday.

Fire department displaced

Whiteland residents weren't the only ones displaced by the storm. Chief Eric Funkhouser said the department has temporarily moved in with New Whiteland Fire because their station is uninhabitable.

The EF-2 tornado uprooted streets, threw a dumpster, peeled back the metal roof and collapsed the ceiling above the firefighter sleeping quarters, Funkhouser said.

Timing was on the department's side; the on-shift crew had been called to about run five minutes prior, he said.

"They had just caught a run when the tornado hit," Funkhouser said. "They were fortunate enough to not be there when it happened."

Funkhouser has reached out to the town's insurance company to get a damage assessment and determine whether it is possible to repair the building.

In the meantime, New Whiteland is sharing their fire department and the Whiteland administrative team, along with the on-duty engine crew, he said.

Library closed indefinitely

At the Clark Pleasant Branch Library, an HVAC unit was torn off the roof, about 10 windows were broken and siding was ripped off the exterior of the building, said Jody Veldkamp, library spokesperson.

There is also damage to the interior of the building and some areas where water got in the building. Some books were blown off the shelf but preliminarily, there appears to be little water damage to the books and other materials in the branch, he said.

The library was closed when the storm hit, but there was a cleaning crew in the building at the time. However, they were able to find a safe place to shelter and were unharmed, Veldkamp said.

The library might not know until Tuesday at the earliest when the branch may be able to reopen, he said.

JCPL's Franklin branch is limited in the services it can provide until power is restored. Power is on at the Trafalgar branch, he said.

Courthouse clock tower damaged

The Johnson County Courthouse sustained damage from storms Friday. Noah Crenshaw | Daily Journal

Strong winds knocked lose pieces of the courthouse clock tower. The damage was to some of the white decorations that adorn the sides of the courthouse below the clock.

Initially, the Johnson County Commissioners think the damage is likely cosmetic and not a threat to structural integrity. More information on the damage will be available on Monday after an engineer evaluates the damage, said Kevin Walls, the commissioner who represents central Johnson County.