April 15, 2006

Storms add to busy day

       A rash of severe thunderstorms that rolled through White River Township last night added to an already busy day for firefighters.  The White River Township Fire Department responded to a total of seventeen calls for help within a twenty-four period beginning on Friday morning.  Out of the seventeen responses, seven of them were directly storm-related, ranging in everything from motor vehicle accidents to localized flooding.  Many of the storm-related calls were a result of electrical surges from lighting strikes that tripped fire alarm systems.

         The severe storm that swept through the area began earlier in the evening in northwest Illinois and raced across central Indiana arriving in White River Township just before 10 p.m. on Friday.  The storm brought intense lightning, very strong winds, and pea-sized hail.  This storm prompted a severe thunderstorm warning to be issued and the subsequent sounding of the storm-warning sirens throughout the area.  According to the weather station located at the department's Station 53 on Mullinix Road, a total of 1.88 inches of rain fell within a one-hour time period.  Although the storm caused some moderate damage including downed power lines, uprooted trees, and scattered reports of hail-related damage, no one was reported injured in the event.
   
 

---