A Brief Moment Of Unity As Indiana Senate Honors Those Affected By Recent Storm

by Ashlyn Meyers, The Statehouse Files

April 4, 2023

INDIANAPOLIS—Sen. Eric Bassler, R-Washington, spoke with a weak tone before the Senate Chamber Monday while talking about a community in his district—Sullivan County.

“As you walk through the area, I’m not exaggerating when I say that someone pointed out where a house used to be, and you could not tell that a house used to be there,” Bassler said. “There was a little bit of debris, but it was just absolutely destroyed.”

Sullivan County, Johnson County, Owen County, Allen County and others saw significant damage from severe weather that swept the Hoosier State on March 31. The National Weather Service (NWS) reported that at least seven tornadoes crossed the state, leaving damage and debris in their paths.

Nationally, severe weather brought parts of six other states to shambles, and over 30 Americans lost their lives to tornadoes across the country.

In Sullivan County, NWS reported that the community’s EF3 tornado crossed the Wabash River and proceeded to destroy at least three homes. One modular home traveled over 150 yards. According to Bassler, this tornado impacted over 200 different structures, with three lives lost. At McCormick’s Creek State Park, two additional Hoosiers were killed.

Whiteland, a town just south of Indianapolis in Johnson County, had multiple factories ripped to pieces, with roofs also being torn off homes in a neighborhood near I-65.

In Whiteland’s Park Forest neighborhood, numerous residents lost their homes and personal belongings. Angela Burdine, a resident of the neighborhood, was lucky to keep her home relatively intact but still saw the suffering of neighbors all around her.

“It was like a war zone. I have never seen so much devastation. Some lost everything, you felt so helpless. Our phones weren’t working, which was scary. The fire department and police were going through the neighborhood to make sure everyone was safe because you couldn’t call for help,” Burdine told The Statehouse File.

Even with the fear and anguish, Burdine saw her community come together.

“The most amazing thing was how many people came Saturday and Sunday to help clean everything up.”

Echoing this same gratitude, Bassler told his colleagues in the Senate that he’s proud of the Hoosier hospitality residents have shown to one another.

He instructed everyone to stand for a moment of silence, honoring those who lost lives, loved ones and important belongings. Though they carried on with usual business and debates soon after, for a few moments, legislators were unified.

In Whiteland’s Park Forest neighborhood, numerous residents lost their homes and personal belongings. Angela Burdine, a resident of the neighborhood, was lucky to keep her home relatively intact but still saw the suffering of neighbors all around her.

“It was like a war zone. I have never seen so much devastation. Some lost everything, you felt so helpless. Our phones weren’t working, which was scary. The fire department and police were going through the neighborhood to make sure everyone was safe because you couldn’t call for help,” Burdine told The Statehouse File.

Even with the fear and anguish, Burdine saw her community come together.

“The most amazing thing was how many people came Saturday and Sunday to help clean everything up.”

Echoing this same gratitude, Bassler told his colleagues in the Senate that he’s proud of the Hoosier hospitality residents have shown to one another.

He instructed everyone to stand for a moment of silence, honoring those who lost lives, loved ones and important belongings. Though they carried on with usual business and debates soon after, for a few moments, legislators were unified.

FOOTNOTE: Ashlyn Myers is a reporter for TheStatehouseFile.com, a news website powered by Franklin College journalism students.