Make wishtv.com your home page

Community working together to help with tornado clean up in Kokomo

KOKOMO, Ind. (WISH) — The clean up continues across Kokomo after the National Weather Service said several tornadoes ripped through the central Indiana.

One of the hardest hit neighborhoods was Cedar Crest near State Road 931.

Hundreds of volunteers spent Thursday cleaning up. Neighbors said they were so thankful for the help.

Different volunteer groups, including the Girl Scouts of Central Indiana Howard County did their best to clean up the Cedar Crest neighborhood.

Amy Tygart, who is a volunteer, said its a miracle everyone made it out alive.

“It’s amazing I’m just thankful,” she said. “Attitude of gratitude, that’s all. It’s just great that everybody was okay.”

Her group spent hours moving the debris and trying to salvage what’s left with help from Kokomo students.

Elliott Faison lives a couple of houses down.

“I just helped Mr. and Mrs. Smith you know pretty much tear down trees, get trees down from their home and just try to do all I can,” he said.

Faison said his property had minor damage. No one was home at the time except for his dog.

“It’s his second tornado and he was home alone and in fact, when I opened the door to come home, he growled at me so I know he was very nervous,” he said.

Other neighbors like Kevin Donnell was home and had a close call with Mother Nature.

“I was going to come out here to video tape it but I had a hard time getting the dog back in the house,” said Donnell. “When I turned back around to walk through the door the storm was blowing the door through.”

Donnell said he could have been crushed. He’s still working to remove the massive tree in front of his house to get his car out.

“I’m very grateful just remember if you think it’s bad all you have to do is look around you somebody got it a lot worst that could have been us,” he said.

The United Way also set up a tent in the neighborhood to pass out food and water.