| April 11, 1965 is still remembered by many: | | | | established the need for better methods to |
| that day a brutal string of tornados hit the | | | | communicate warnings to residents and |
| states of Iowa, Indiana, and Michigan with | | | | officials in other areas of approaching |
| wind gusts as high as 318 miles per hour, | | | | storms. It was just a little while after this |
| killing 250 people and injuring some 1500 | | | | that the Weather Service started to put out |
| others. The first funnel cloud hit the ground | | | | announcements indicating that tornados where |
| at 1 p.m. with others following at varying | | | | likely to form and where they were traveling |
| intervals, up to 5:30 pm. The storms | | | | once they had hit the ground. |
| intensified as they day progressed. An F4 | | | | |
| storm hit Koontz Lake, Indiana and 2 other | | | | The economic consequences of these storms |
| twisters hit Wakarusa, and Goshen, doing | | | | were felt in all three states. Houses where |
| massive damage to homes, and local | | | | completely destroyed, and all the major |
| infrastructure. | | | | utilities took damage. Local businesses had |
| | | | to close and effect repairs and millions of |
| More storms continued to develop over the | | | | dollars had to be spent to clean up the mess |
| course of that same day. The worst of the | | | | that was left by the roving storms. The loss |
| tornados, an F5 storm with winds reaching | | | | of business and personal information alone |
| speeds of up to 318 miles per hour landed at | | | | can hardly be calculated. |
| Elkhart Indiana and destroyed the Sunnyside | | | | |
| subdivision killing over 30 people. One of | | | | Once again local residents and business |
| the funnel clouds was a colossal eight | | | | across the three states where caught by |
| hundred yards wide, leaving a trail of | | | | surprise and hurt or killed as a result. |
| devastation in its path. Telephone and | | | | Tornados by there very natures are extremely |
| electrical lines where knocked out by the | | | | hard to forecast. Unlike other storms that |
| high winds. The phone system was down and, as | | | | can be seen as they approach, a tornado can, |
| a result, local city officials where unable | | | | in effect, form right on top of you and hit |
| to warn others in the path of the storm of | | | | you when you least expect it. The need to |
| the severe danger. The day progressed and | | | | take proper precautions is essential to |
| tornados hit many other counties. The damage | | | | ensuring the safety of local residents and |
| from all these rapidly occurring storms was | | | | businesses. Yet even that may not be enough. |
| devastating. | | | | Protecting your own business infrastructure, |
| | | | records and information can be an essential |
| The impact that these storms had on the area | | | | component to your own recovery process in the |
| was huge. The U.S. weather bureau conducted a | | | | event a major disaster strikes. |
| full investigation after the storm and | | | | |