Published: September 16, 2008 09:50 am            

Floyd, Clark counties cleaning up after wind damage

Many Floyd County residents are cleaning up after remnants from Hurricane Ike caused damage to homes and left thousands without power.

Marie Huth, who lives along Scottsville Road, said she has lived in that home for 52 years.

“I have never seen wind like that before,” she said. “We were really lucky to not have more damage.”

Barbara Bridgwater, who lives on the 3700 block of Scottsville Road in Floyds Knobs, said people’s generosity showed after a tree crashed into her house. She said she returned home about five minutes after the accident.

“Someone actually pulled in my driveway in front of me to make sure no one was in the house and injured,” she said. “People have been stopping by to see if they can help. This brings out the good in people.”

She did not know how much the damage would cost.

In Clark County, two people died Sunday due to falling trees. Amy L. Rader, 36, of Memphis and Francis Eickholtz, 62, of Charlestown, both died from blunt-force trauma, said Clark County Coroner Edwin “Huck” Coots.

Eickholtz was standing in his yard along the 900 block of Monroe Street when he was struck by a falling branch Sunday evening and was pronounced dead at St. Catherine Regional Hospital about 7:40 p.m.

Maj. Chuck Adams of the Clark County Sheriff’s Department said Rader’s death was a “freak accident” and not directly related to the storm. She was at a friend’s home off of Columbus-Mann Road in Memphis. Her friend had just cut down a tree when another tree that was partially dead fell and struck her, Adams said. She died about 11:50 a.m. Monday at Clark Memorial Hospital.

Adams said another woman was seriously injured after a tree fell on her vehicle near the fire tower at the Henryville Forestry. Another woman reportedly had serious injuries in Jeffersonville due to being hit by falling debris.

As of 9 a.m. Monday, the Indiana Department of Homeland Security was reporting 19 storm-related injuries and six fatalities in Indiana.

Adams said a take-home police car for the Sheriff’s Department was also damaged by a fallen tree at an officer’s house.

James Vittitoe, who recently started his own contracting company, said he made a lot of money Sunday night but had to work on his own home Monday. A tree had been uprooted, and a large branch fell from another tree causing damage to the house which is on East 8th Street in Jeffersonville.

“The trees alone are probably $800, then there’s a limb stuck through the roof, and you have the shingles, siding damage, and the fence is knocked down. It’s going to cost a lot,” he said.

On the 600 block of Chippewa Drive, one tree damaged two houses and a truck and crushed another car that was parked in a driveway.

“It sounded like a cannon going off,” said T.J. Helms. “Pictures were coming off the walls. It was like an earthquake.”

The tree totaled Helms’ 1997 Lincoln Town Car and caused slight damage to his pick-up truck and house. It also caused extensive damage to the second floor of his neighbor’s house.

The Clark County Red Cross was taking in people without power at the First Christian Church of Jeffersonville at 3209 Middle Road.

Lorie Nevils, chairperson of the kitchen ministry for the church, said the church had 23 volunteers, and the Red Cross had about 15. She said they served 81 plates Sunday night and 41 Monday morning.

About 20 people came from the Haven House which was without power.

Elaine Vanhorn’s garage along the 400 block of East Terrace Heights was crushed after a tree fell in her yard. She believes the garage is completely destroyed, but her 1991 Corvette inside was spared.



Conserve Water

• Area water suppliers, including Indiana-American Water Co., Floyds Knobs Water Co. and Greenville Water Utility, are asking customers in Southern Indiana to conserve water usage. The water companies are running on generator backup power, making it difficult to pump out water. Residents are asked to stop watering lawns or washing cars for the time being.

        

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