The Courier-Journal from Louisville, Kentucky • Page 11

THE COURIER-JOURNAL WEDNESDAY, MAY 29, 1996 TORNADOES RAKE BULLITT COUNTY DEALING WITH DISASTER SKELTER I- Mi ffjs A12 i ''A M- i miBWH. sot-- -rJU. Missy Gousha of Mount Washington The American Red Cross last night opened two shelters in Bullitt County. The first was opened at North Bullitt High School, near Pioneer Village at 3200 E. Hebron Lane; about 10:45 p.m.

a second shelter was opened at Mount Washington Middle School. Keith Alvey, the Red Cross director of disaster for a nine-county area that includes Bullitt and Spencer counties, said volunteers were assessing damage throughout the rest of the area to decide if other shelters were needed. Melanie Cook of the Red Cross suggested that people going to the shelter bring personal items, such as medication. Alvey said last night that Red Cross officials were just worried about "making sure people have a place to stay." "In the morning we'll start looking at individual needs," like food and clothing, he said. To help the Red Cross aid storm victims, send financial contributions to American Red Cross, 510 E.

Chestnut Louisville, Ky. 40202; mark it for Disaster Services. Other agencies may be collecting items to distribute to storm victims. The Louisville Fire Department, at the request of Bullitt County officials, sent a light truck, which has portable lights, said Mary Russell, spokeswoman for Mayor Jerry Abramson. She said the truck allows workers to see to clear power lines and to look through damaged homes.

Bullitt County was making a list of supplies, personnel and equipment that it needs, and Louisville officials will do what they can do fulfill their request, Russell said. In Frankfort, the Kentucky Emergency Operations Center was opened last night to put state government in a position to provide help where needed in the storms' aftermath. Ronn Padgett, executive director of the state Division of Disaster and Emergency Services, said state coordinators had been sent to the hardest-hit areas to gather information about local needs. INSURANCE her son, Michael Gousha, looked over PHOTO BY CHRIS HALL of other houses were destroyed. County Tornadoes mangle northern the rubble from their home.

Dozens tf. i ii 1 1 hj ments before it hit to collect a garbage can that had blown away. His wife, Darlene, called for him to come in and take shelter, but it was too late. "He was laying on the ground, holding onto trie tire (of the car in their driveway) for dear life," Darlene Garrett said. Remarkably, he suffered only minor cuts and scrapes.

Officials at the scene last night said that was the case throughout the area, where homes, businesses and trees were splintered, but there were no reports of serious injuries. One woman who was in her car on Preston Highway in Pioneer Village said she saw three tornadoes. "There was one big one and two small ones beside it," said Stephanie Adkins, whose husband, David, is a Zoneton firefighter. The family was headed for the fire department for shelter when the tornado struck. Mount Washington Although the damage was confined to the city's east side, the areas that were hit were devastated.

The tornado struck first in the Old Mill Manor subdivision, destroying or severely damaging 20 to 30 houses. It then tore part of the roof off Mount Washington Elementary School. Next in the path was the Northfield subdivision. Of the 41 houses there, at least three dozen sustained severe damage, with about half of those destroyed, resident Clarence Hatter said. "It jumped my house and demolished the house next door," he said.

Continued from Page One house, at 3317 Cardinal Drive. Officials confirmed that tornadoes touched down in northeastern Bullitt County, said John Bollinger, a meteorological technician at the National Weather Service office in Louisville. Trees were uprooted, cars overturned and power lines knocked down throughout the city. Before the storm struck, people took shelter at Little Flock Baptist Church and the Zoneton Fire Department. Another shelter was set up at North Bullitt High School about 8 p.m., and by 10 p.m., people carrying suitcases were walking to the school.

Mayor Jim Welker, who has lived in Pioneer Village for 37 years, said part of the roof was ripped off his one-story, four-bedroom home, but after surveying damage elsewhere in the city, he felt lucky. "My brother's house, it's gone," Welker said. "They'll have to tear it down. There's no way to repair his house." Welker said that when the storm struck, he and his wife, Virginia, moved to the center of the house. "She went in a closet.

I stayed right in the center of the house," he said. "We could hear stuff hitting and hear the roaring. It was unreal. City Councilmen Gary Hatcher, Phillip Radford and Denver Matthews said the storm was the worst in the small city's history. Tears welled up in Radford's eyes as he walked through the neighborhood where STAFF PHOTO BY KEITH WILLIAMS Rhonda Weber comforted Bonita Jones, whose home in Meadowbrook subdivision was destroyed by the storm.

It was among dozens of houses there that were hit. jt held her dog, Crystal, as she and Gary Hatcher, his son-in-law, lives. Radford said he's been through two bad storms before but "nothing like this." "I've done well through it all before, but not this time," Radford said, his voice breaking. He lives across from the subdivision on Preston Highway. His house was not severely damaged, but a garage was destroyed.

Hatcher said his house was ruined. "We didn't have any warning at all," he said. "I thought it was an airplane," he said, referring to the sound of the tornado. Matthews, who lives on Acacia Drive, said he had stepped outside to see what was going on and quickly went back in. "It came down right by my house," he said.

Hatcher's next-door neighbor, Corey Hobbs, said he went out to look at the sky before the storm hit. "Before I could get my back door shut, I saw a lady's tree two doors down go flying in the air." He said he and his family took shelter in the bathroom. Only a few of the houses in the neighborhood have basements, city officials said. The National Weather Service had issued numerous tornado warnings as a powerful storm moved in from Western Kentucky and Southern Indiana. But residents of the neighborhood known as old Pioneer Village said they were caught off guard by the tornado.

Gene Garrett went outside mo officials said they had heard of one house blown down near Stephens-port and were continuing to check for other damage last night. In Anderson County, state police said a tornado touched down 3 miles south of Lawrenceburg near the Blue Grass Parkway. Bams, garages and a car lot were damaged, but there were no injury reports, police said. There were also reports of several homes damaged, and numerous trees and power lines had been blown down. In Spencer County, homes were reported damaged along Ky.

55 about a mile and a half north of Taylorsville. Rescue squads were checking for damage along other county roads. A mobile home was wrapped around a fence post near Taylorsville and firefighters were concerned about possible gas leaks at Taylorsville Lake. The storm broke loose Settlers Trace Boat Dock at Taylorsville Lake, state police said. In neighboring Shelby County, dispatchers said they were initially hearing only reports of high water on roads, even though tornado warnings had been posted.

A tornado also reportedly touched down in southern Fayette County, in the Man O' War Boulevard-Boston Road area. There were no confirmed reports of damage last night. High water closed numerous roads in Fayette County, and Bloomfield in Nelson County lost power in a thunderstorm. Hatter's grandson, Eric, was not as fortunate. "Half of my house is gone," he said.

"The garage, kitchen and living room are gone." A dozen trees on his lot were uprooted or torn apart, Eric Hatter said. Damage in the subdivision ranged from the loss of a few shingles to demolition. The twister skipped over a nursing home before tearing the end of the roof off Schmid Funeral Home. It then damaged or destroyed more houses and several apartment buildings before leaving the ground less 3i Other areas spared serious damage maw i. uuniimiiiiwiwiii jr than half a mile short of downtown Mount Washington.

Many power lines were down and several gas leaks were reported. Hundreds of trees were torn out of the ground or shredded. Dozens of Louisville police officers were called in to help hard-pressed local emergency workers patrol the damaged areas and control traffic. Today's weather was expected to be partly sunny with the high near 80 degrees and the forecast made no mention of rain or storms. STAFF PHOTO BY PAT McDONOGH Bullitt County ended up on the or severely damaged, and dozens '-J 1 Mark Thompson, agency manager of Kentucky Farm Bureau's Iroquois branch in southwestern Jefferson County, is expecting lots of calls from homeowners today.

He said people whose property has been damaged should take the following steps: Make temporary repairs. If part of your roof is gone, for example, and there's a danger water will get in, take steps to minimize the damage. "This won't be to their detriment with the claims adjuster," Thompson said. "Part of the insurance contract gives them the responsibility and also the right to prevent further damage and preserve what property is left." Hold onto physical proof to show the claims adjuster. "Anything that you have to remove from the house carpeting, floor covering try to save it." Taking pictures of the damage is "an excellent idea," Thompson said.

Call your agent and report the claim as soon as possible. A policy number is helpful but not necessary. Provide a brief description of the damage. The agent needs to know whether the home is liveable or not. Be patient.

Claims offices will prioritize the claims from the most serious on down, Thompson said. Homes that are rendered unliveable will get the first attention. In those cases, "additional living expenses" coverage on homeowner's policies can pay for motel rooms, clothing and food for displaced families, Thompson said. "Ninety-nine percent of the time, it will run until you're back into the home," he said, but homeowners should check with their individual agents to be sure. "When you get inundated with this many claims, it's just a very time-consuming process to get the people mobilized," Thompson said.

"They'll be hiring independent claims adjusters to work this bringing in storm adjusters from all over the country." Compiled from Staff Dispatches The same storm system that hit Bullitt County also moved across other parts of Kentucky and Southern Indiana late yesterday afternoon, bringing gusts up to 46 mph and generating dozens of tornado warnings. However, there were no reports of serious damage or injuries. High winds twisted some trees and downed some power lines. Despite reports of tornado sightings near Coryddn, the Harrison County Sheriffs Department reported only numerous trees down. Officials in Clark and Floyd counties also reported no serious damage.

A city police officer in Petersburg, about 35 miles northeast of Evansville, reported seeing a funnel cloud in a field west of town near several homes. But it dissipated before causing any damage. A Pike County, sheriffs dispatcher said numerous residents reported funnel clouds aloft as the storms moved over the area. Residents near the town of Decker just south of Vincennes along the White River also reported a tornado on the ground. Authorities said some trees were twisted and one power line was downed.

Civil defense crews were looking for additional damage last night. Several cities reported large hail. In Breckinridge County, fire An L-shaped section of the roof of a school near Brooks in northern ground. About 250 houses in nearby Pioneer Village were destroyed more in another subdivision close by..