June 28, 1977

Severe storm hits portion of county

       A severe thunderstorm dumped nearly one and one-half inches of rain, touched off several fires and tossed heavy tree limbs throughout northwestern Johnson County late Tuesday. Fortunately, there were no reports of any injuries as a direct result of the severe storm which passed through northwestern Johnson County around 4:30 p.m. Tuesday. However, lightning touched off a rash of fires in Greenwood and White River Township, including a major fire which heavily damaged an automotive repair garage on State Road 135. The thunderstorm which hit Greenwood reportedly was the basis for a severe thunderstorm warning issued by the National Weather Service in Indianapolis for northwestern Johnson County, southern Marion County, southeastern Hancock County and northwestern Shelby County. The front was part of a large weather system which passed through Indiana Tuesday. Some funnel clouds were spotted aloft in southern and northern Indiana but none touched down. A Gary man, Valentin Canchez, 52, was killed by a bolt of lightning while fishing in a lagoon on Gary’s east side. The severe storm did not hit Franklin, where heavy rain fell briefly. Light rain fell in the Edinburgh area ad the front apparently subsided south of Franklin.

         Tuesday’s sudden storm struck Greenwood with unusual ferocity. The hard rain, heavy winds and several bolts of lightning caused considerable damage, some temporary flooding, short-time power outages and a great deal of anxiety. There were numerous reports of electric and telephone wires down throughout the city. Several large trees were felled by the intense storm. At one time, there were eight storm-related fires in the Greenwood and White River Township area. At the Greenwood Cafeteria on Main Street, a large plate glass window was broken, and several large limbs fell in the Old City Park. According to Greenwood Sanitation Superintendent Lyman Howard, approximately 1.6 inches of rain fell after 4 p.m., with the majority of the precipitation falling during the brief but wild storm.

         Lighting and high winds caused a maze of fire runs in White River Township Tuesday, as firefighters were called out six times in a 90-minute period. The first three fire runs came within five minutes of one another and the final three were called in within two minutes of one another. Firemen were also called out at 4:44 a.m. this morning when one of the earlier fires rekindled. The first run came at 4:37 p.m. Tuesday after power lines were downed in the Hiatt addition in Smith Valley, causing minor fire in trees near the Evan Featheson residence. Three minutes later, the firefighters were called to Wheel Estates, where a fire at a mobile home had been rekindled by a lighting bolt. Five White River Township firefighters fought the blaze which was contained to the underside of the mobile home residence of Gladys Davis, lot 12, damage was estimated at $1,500.

         The most serious of the fires Tuesday caused approximately $20,000 t the Troy Pearce garage, located at 1619 State Road 135, just north of Olive Branch Road. A motorist who had stopped in front of the garage-residence told officials he has seen lightning strike a sign atop the building. White River Township firefighters received the call at 4:42 p.m. and Bargersville firemen were called to assist at the scene. The blaze gutted the garage area and caused smoke damage to an automobile, belonging to Pearce, which was parked inside. A neighbor who arrived shortly after the fire broke out reported hearing an explosion as he attempted to enter the building, but there was no major explosions, though gasoline pumps are located in front of the building. Fire Chief Bob Wehrman said the living quarters sustained only minor smoke and water damage. There had at first been concern that Pearce was in the building, but that report was unfounded. Johnson County Sheriff’s Department and State Police were called in to control traffic, which was backed up to Smith Valley Road in the southbound lane. At 6:04 p.m., while firefighters were still at the Pearce blaze, White River Township Volunteer Fire Department received a false alarm call to Wheel Estates. A minute later, units were summoned to The Bee Hive Restaurant in the Smith Valley area, where a transformer was on fire. While White River Township firefighters fought that blaze, Greenwood firemen, who were standing by at the White River Township station, answered a second call to the Hiatt addition in Smith Valley to douse flames in a transformer behind the Miles Jenkins residence. Power lines were reported down at that site. White River Township firemen were called out again at 4:44 a.m. this morning to the Gladys Davis residence at Wheel Estates where fire had been rekindled in insulation at the mobile home. According to Wehrman, firemen were at the scene for 20 minutes. No further damage was reported to the mobile home. Wehrman was complimentary of the cooperation his department received from neighboring fire companies during Tuesday’s hectic hours. Greenwood firefighters spent two hours on standby at the White River Township station ant the White River Township Department also received “fine help” from Bargersville units, he said. Bill Cherry, a fireman from the Waverly Fire Department, also aided White River Township firefighters at the Pearce fire.  (Reprinted with permission of the Daily Journal)  See related stories and photos HERE and HERE.
 
 
 

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