LAKEVIEW, Ohio (AP) — Blaine Schmidt scoured broken glass and splintered wood throughout his Ohio home Friday, recovering a guitar and a bundle of diapers.
Someone had torn apart his couch and crib. tornado It ripped through the central United States, killing three people and injuring dozens more. The storm ripped off the walls in the living room, but at least the house was still standing. The house next door was destroyed.
“I lucky to be alive'' Schmidt said hours after he and his roommate used a shower curtain to protect themselves from flying glass and took shelter in their bathtub.
Thursday night's storm has passed path of destruction It covers parts of Ohio, Kentucky, Indiana, and Arkansas. About 40 people were injured and dozens of homes were damaged in one Indiana community. Tornadoes were also reported in Illinois and Missouri.
The Indian Lake area of Logan County, Ohio, was one of the hardest hit areas. Three people were killed in the northwest Columbus county, Sheriff Randy Dodds said.
Much of the damage occurred in the villages of Russell's Point and Lakeview, where Schmidt lives. The village is dotted with cottages owned by people who come to fish and boat.
Dodds said search teams and cadaver dogs entered an area blocked off by a gas leak and fallen trees overnight Friday but were unable to find any additional victims.
“If you look at the damage, you'd be surprised that there were only three,” the sheriff said.
Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine, who surveyed the damage and met with residents, said the state was lucky the storm didn't hit on a summer weekend.
Sandy Smith took shelter with her family in the laundry room of her Lakeview home after hearing storm sirens. A few seconds later, the sound of debris hitting the house was heard. Her husband watched as the garage was blown away.
She went upstairs to rescue her cat, which was stuck under a bookshelf. As soon as she came down, the roof collapsed.
Campgrounds, RV parks, laundromats and many other businesses were damaged. Amber Fagan, president of the local Chamber of Commerce, said the storm caused fires in some areas and left power lines hanging from windows of homes.
About 25 people were treated for most of their broken bones and internal injuries at the nearest hospital in Bellefontaine, Mary Routan Hospital spokeswoman Laura Miller said.
About a half-dozen Lakeview residents who spoke to The Associated Press said they heard tornado sirens blaring 10 minutes before the storm and then later.
Weather officials are surveying damage and confirming tornadoes, with at least five tornadoes in Ohio alone.
In Winchester, Indiana, a tornado injured 38 people and the mayor said about 130 homes and a Taco Bell restaurant were damaged or destroyed. Officials said three people were in critical condition, but their injuries were not considered life-threatening.
Residents, who said they had been given sufficient warning to evacuate, collected tree branches and metal plates from their yards. Shingles littered roads and fields in the town northeast of Indianapolis.
Carrie Todd, 55, said the tornado looked like a “flock of black birds.”
Across the street from the destroyed church, hymn number 118, “Shelter in Time of Storms,” was blared.
Mayor Bob McCoy said he and his wife holed up in a closet.
“I've never heard that sound before. I never want to hear it again,” McCoy said.
Half of the buildings in Selma, a town of 750 people west of Winchester, may have been damaged, authorities said. Emergency officials said in a news release that only minor injuries were reported.
Gov. Eric Holcomb praised Indiana's first responders, saying, “By the grace of God, everyone got through this.”
The storm also damaged homes and trailers in the Ohio River communities of Hanover and Lamb, Indiana.
In Milton, Kentucky, debris from the tornado struck a car, injuring two people and damaging 100 homes and businesses, Trimble County Emergency Management Director Andrew Stark said.
In Arkansas, a tornado struck the Hot Springs Village retirement community southwest of Little Rock, but there were no reports of deaths or injuries, said National Weather Service meteorologist Eric Green.
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Seewer reported from Toledo, Ohio. Associated Press journalists from across the country, including Isabella Vollmert in Winchester, Indiana, contributed to this report. Lisa Bauman. Sarah Brumfield. Rick Callahan; Stephanie Dazio. Kathy McCormack. Ken Miller; and Patrick Orsagos.
