One week after multiple tornadoes hit Northwest Indiana, Gary and Highland are continuing to clean up the damage.
On March 19, three EF-0 tornadoes passed through, two in Gary and one in Highland. An EF-1 tornado passed through Gary’s west side.
The city of Gary’s Emerson community, 21st Avenue and Clark Street and Black Oak areas received significant damage, according to a news release from the city. The 21st Avenue corridor between Whitcomb and Hendricks streets was severely impacted, according to the city.
Gary’s General Services department continues to work to clear the city’s roadways, remove fallen trees from homes and vehicles, and eliminate dangerous debris.
Crews are still working to repair storm damage in Highland, said Director of Public Works Mark Knesek. All major damage has been cleaned up, he said Thursday.
Knesek also said all of Highland’s roads are open.
The town will complete concrete work from fallen tree damage, and Knesek said it will take a few weeks to get a contractor. Some trees also still need to be cut up, but all the big fallen trees are gone.
Gary Mayor Eddie Melton issued an executive order March 20, declaring a local disaster emergency within the city. The declaration expired Thursday.
“Our primary focus is the safety and recovery of our community,” Melton said in a previous news release. “We are committed to working tirelessly alongside emergency responders and city officials to restore normalcy and support those impacted by this severe weather event.”
Hundreds of Gary residents lost power, but as of about 2 p.m. Thursday, only two homes were still without electricity, according to NIPSCO’s power outage map. It took several days to restore power for all residents, according to the city’s release.
The Gary Fire Department and General Services team are collecting data on the fiscal impact of the storm, according to the city, which will help support requests for assistance. The Mayor’s Office of Constituent Services is contacting those who have been displaced, and the city has partnered with the Red Cross to provide resources.
McCullough Academy, 2757 W. 21st Ave., suffered significant damage, including high winds peeling the roof off the gym.
Classes were canceled at McCullough the two days following the storm. Classes will be held at the Gary Area Career Center for the foreseeable future, according to a Thursday release from the school corporation.
Damage to the school is still being assessed and entrance to the building is prohibited until clearance is granted by safety officials, according to a release from Chelsea Whittington, chief of public and community relations for Gary School Corp.
GCSC Superintendent Dr. Yvonne Stokes emphasized the importance of safety.
“Our first concern is the safety of all students, staff, families and stakeholders of the McCullough Academy family. We came together as a team to make the best decision on behalf of children, which is to remain at the Gary Area Career Center until further notice.”
Stokes added that regular updates will be shared with impacted parties as information becomes available.
mwilkins@chicagotribune.com
