Another pounding

Prince’s Lakes resident Donna Richards thought she was spared from storm damage after a tornado went through the town Sunday, and her home was left unscathed.

Until the next night, when a tree broke through her roof after another line of powerful storms moved through the area.

Richards was in the living room, and her husband, Kerry, was in the kitchen. They saw dust fall from the ceiling and heard a loud boom. A hickory tree fell on top of a bathroom, a spare bedroom and the Richards’ bedroom closet about 10 p.m. Monday.

“I could see dust particles, and I said, ‘I think there’s a tree on our roof,’” Donna Richards said. “Kerry went into the other part of the house, and water was just rushing in the bedroom and the bathroom.”

Luckily, the family can live in the unaffected rooms of the house while the rest is rebuilt. The kitchen, living room and another bathroom were not damaged, she said.

The Richards and dozens of others in southern Johnson County had storm damage after thunderstorms passed through Monday night and early Tuesday. Residents were still cleaning up after an EF-0 tornado tore through southern Johnson County early Sunday, downing trees in yards and onto homes. Rain passed through the area Monday afternoon, and then a severe thunderstorm hit again Monday night.

Five trucks from the Indiana Department of Transportation came to Prince’s Lakes to help clear debris and tree limbs from properties, and the Department of Correction brought people to load the trucks. Red Cross members have been visiting residents door-to-door to offer assistance, as well as giving away bottles of water and snacks.

The Prince’s Lakes street department wants vehicles from the state and the Department of Correction to come back again this week.

Power outages continued to be a concern.

After Sunday’s tornado, more than 300 residents in southern Johnson County — mostly in Prince’s Lakes — went without power for more than 24 hours until it was restored Monday afternoon. Then, nearly 350 residents lost power again after a line fell in the Monday night storm. It could take until Thursday for all residents to have power back in Prince’s Lakes, South Central Indiana REMC spokeswoman Maura Giles said.

Some Trafalgar residents lost power Tuesday morning after a tree limb fell onto a power line on Pearl Street.

Nineveh resident Judy Orff had lots of trees fall on her 19-acre property during the tornado, and her power went out again Monday when the storm passed through, but service was restored a few hours later.

Lakeview Drive, which is the main road for most Prince’s Lakes residents to get in and out of town, was blocked Tuesday morning after a power line fell across the road. Trees blocked the path, and the power line pole split and the cross arms fell off of the pole, Giles said.

Residents and insurance agents waited for hours to drive in or out of the town. Residents who live on more than 20 roads on the west side of Prince’s Lakes could not leave or get back home.

A gas line also was struck in Prince’s Lakes, leaving 13 residents without natural gas from 9:30 a.m. until about 3 p.m. Tuesday.

And the town’s water main broke around 3 a.m. Tuesday. Residents could use the water Tuesday but had little pressure. Now, residents are under a three-day boil order, meaning they should boil their water for at least five minutes before drinking or cooking with it.

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Any resident who uses the Prince’s Lakes water supply is advised to boil the water for at least five minutes for the next two days, after a water main broke Tuesday.

To check if you need to boil your water, call the Prince’s Lakes Water Department at 812-526-2126.

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