FARMERSBURG, Ind. (WTWO/WAWV) – The scope of the damage from the deadly tornado that struck Wabash Valley counties in Illinois and Indiana on Friday night can clearly be seen from the air.
Saturday evening WTWO/WAWV General Manager Tim Sanders was able to fly over the affected area and take video of the devastation. The storm entered the area before 10 p.m. Friday Eastern Time and was a tornado a little time later. It went from Robinson, Ill. in Crawford County to Sullivan County, Ind., killing a total of six people and injuring others.
Sanders said Sunday morning seeing the damage from that perspective in Robinson showed how truly how close the tornado was to the Marathon refinery there.
Most of the damage is toward the south of Robinson. Other major damage was in the area of Route 1, which is where Sanders was reporting late Friday and early Saturday morning as first responders pulled people out from under their collapsed homes.
He said he noticed a lot of debris just out in the fields between Robinson and Sullivan which showed how far the storm could carry objects.
“There was a 1,000-gallon propane tank that was out in the field,” Sanders said.
As the plane crossed the river over into Sullivan it became apparent again just how strong and devastating the storm was.
“When we went over Sullivan, seeing the amount of homes damaged, these are our friends, our family members, our businesses we work with,” Sanders said. “When you see it in real life, it’s heartbreaking.”
