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