Randolph County sheriff warns of scammers preying on tornado victims
WINCHESTER, Ind. (WISH) — Storms swept through eastern and southern Indiana on Thursday, leaving 38 people injured and more than 160 buildings damaged in Winchester.
The Randolph County Sheriff’s Office is warning people to watch out for scammers. In a recent post on Facebook, the sheriff said they’ve been getting calls about people posing as federal emergency personnel.
The sheriff’s office says the Federal Emergency Management Agency has not yet been sent to Randolph County. The American Red Cross is the only organization deployed to the area; it has two teams wearing Red Cross vests are in neighborhoods doing damage assessments.
The post says: “If you meet someone you feel is suspicious, observe their clothing and personal appearance. You can call the communications center at 765-584-1721 and report the suspicious person. You will be asked to provide a description. Do not provide any of your identifiers or financial information to anyone on the street canvassing the neighborhoods.”
Sheriff Al Moystner also says people have volunteered to clean properties, tarp roofs, and help in the community. Anyone interested in volunteering must register with the volunteer management team at Winchester Community High School, 700 N. Union St.
Moystner went on to say, “Those volunteers cannot solicit homeowners to do professional services while performing volunteer work. Doing so is in violation of Indiana law.”
The Randolph County EOC also reported the following information over the weekend:
- 38 injuries from the tornado
- 47 structures destroyed
- 56 structures with major damage
- 60 structures with minor damage
- 13 structures affected
- 7 people sheltered at Winchester Jr/Sr High
- Over 575 volunteers checked in
- Tornado classified as an EF-3 tornado
- Path length of 25.03 miles
- Largest path width of 700 yards in places
- Estimated wind speeds of 165 MPH
- Peak Power Outages – 5,000
- 10 customers without power as of this report
- 125+ utility poles damaged
- 1 wind turbine damaged