Daniels tours Atterbury

EDINBURGH - Gov. Mitch Daniels and other officials toured parts of central Indiana Thursday to see the damage caused by the state's latest bout of severe weather.

Daniels joined Indiana National Guard Gen. Martin Umbarger at Camp Atterbury, the tornado-damaged Guard facility. The Guard said two soldiers suffered minor injuries Tuesday night as they sought shelter from the tornado, which had wind speeds reaching an estimated 130 mph.

Camp Atterbury officials estimate that the storm damaged 40 to 50 buildings, causing at least $19 million of damage. That figure does not include damaged military vehicles and equipment.

Daniels said the state could apply for federal disaster aid and loans as early as today. While the damage indicated a genuine disaster, Daniels said, things could have been worse across Indiana.

"These last two storms, especially with the loss of life in other states, it could easily have been that bad here," he said.

Umbarger said he expected it would not be long before Camp Atterbury was back at full speed.

"Quite frankly, the Army's really taking care of us here," he said. "And the reason is that we're so important to the mobilization mission. You're going to see this stuff repaired rather quickly."

More than 2,000 Marines and soldiers are training at Camp Atterbury before being deployed overseas. A two-hour delay Wednesday was the only hitch in training, Guard Maj. Mike Brady said.

"To me that's pretty impressive," Brady said. "Two hours in and of itself is not really an impact."

Umbarger and Lt. Gov. Becky Skillman also visited the Rush County community of Moscow, where another tornado damaged many buildings and injured several people.

State Police Sgt. John Bowling said Moscow residents are working hard to clean up the damage.

"Neighbors are helping neighbors," he said. "It's pretty amazing how a community comes together when something like this happens."

Across the state, one person died and at least 10 were injured because of the storms.

Henry County resident Marsha Draper drove her car into floodwaters Wednesday morning, but the rushing waters forced her car off the rural road and into a creek north of New Castle, officials said.

At least one person was injured when a tornado spun through parts of North Vernon in Jennings County.

A water spout was taped at the Lake and Forest housing addition near Brownstown. It can be seen at TribTown.com.

She was found dead in her car hours later. The force of the water broke the windshield and filled the vehicle with water.

Henry County Sheriff Butch Baker said two other vehicles were in the high water and those drivers got themselves out. Draper's car apparently drifted further down the creek about 40 miles east of Indianapolis.

"It's really tragic," said Gene Clark, who lives along the banks of the creek. "The driver's window was down just a little bit. I could see water rushing in, and it was rushing out of the sunroof. There wasn't anybody that could survive the water."

Another woman was badly injured when a tornado late Tuesday destroyed her home in Moscow. Diane Hester, 66, was impaled in the upper chest by a 3-inch diameter tree limb, said Charles Smith, chief of the Posey Township Volunteer Fire Department.

Hester was listed in critical but stable condition Thursday at Methodist Hospital in Indianapolis.

The storms Tuesday followed a thunderstorm and tornado last week that heavily damaged an Indianapolis apartment complex. Daniels planned to walk through the complex Friday with homeland security officials and others to see the damage there.