| April 11, 1965 is still remembered by many: that | | | | the need for better methods to communicate |
| day a brutal string of tornados hit the states of | | | | warnings to residents and officials in other areas |
| Iowa, Indiana, and Michigan with wind gusts as high | | | | of approaching storms. It was just a little while |
| as 318 miles per hour, killing 250 people and | | | | after this that the Weather Service started to |
| injuring some 1500 others. The first funnel cloud | | | | put out announcements indicating that tornados |
| hit the ground at 1 p.m. with others following at | | | | where likely to form and where they were |
| varying intervals, up to 5:30 pm. The storms | | | | traveling once they had hit the ground. |
| intensified as they day progressed. An F4 storm | | | | The economic consequences of these storms |
| hit Koontz Lake, Indiana and 2 other twisters hit | | | | were felt in all three states. Houses where |
| Wakarusa, and Goshen, doing massive damage to | | | | completely destroyed, and all the major utilities |
| homes, and local infrastructure. | | | | took damage. Local businesses had to close and |
| More storms continued to develop over the | | | | effect repairs and millions of dollars had to be |
| course of that same day. The worst of the | | | | spent to clean up the mess that was left by the |
| tornados, an F5 storm with winds reaching speeds | | | | roving storms. The loss of business and personal |
| of up to 318 miles per hour landed at Elkhart | | | | information alone can hardly be calculated. |
| Indiana and destroyed the Sunnyside subdivision | | | | Once again local residents and business across the |
| killing over 30 people. One of the funnel clouds | | | | three states where caught by surprise and hurt |
| was a colossal eight hundred yards wide, leaving a | | | | or killed as a result. Tornados by there very |
| trail of devastation in its path. Telephone and | | | | natures are extremely hard to forecast. Unlike |
| electrical lines where knocked out by the high | | | | other storms that can be seen as they approach, |
| winds. The phone system was down and, as a | | | | a tornado can, in effect, form right on top of you |
| result, local city officials where unable to warn | | | | and hit you when you least expect it. The need |
| others in the path of the storm of the severe | | | | to take proper precautions is essential to ensuring |
| danger. The day progressed and tornados hit | | | | the safety of local residents and businesses. Yet |
| many other counties. The damage from all these | | | | even that may not be enough. Protecting your |
| rapidly occurring storms was devastating. | | | | own business infrastructure, records and |
| The impact that these storms had on the area | | | | information can be an essential component to |
| was huge. The U.S. weather bureau conducted a | | | | your own recovery process in the event a major |
| full investigation after the storm and established | | | | disaster strikes. |