Two tornadoes

Two tornadoes have been confirmed.

The stronger of the pair caused damage that will have the junior-senior high school closed for the rest of this week.

The National Weather Service on Monday confirmed that there were two tornadoes Sunday evening in Jay County, one of which left a hole in the roof of Jay County Junior-Senior High School before continuing on its nearly 3-mile path that ended shortly after hitting the American Legion post in Portland.

On Monday afternoon, Jay School Corporation announced that the junior-senior high would remain closed for the rest of the week. (All Jay Schools were closed Monday.)

All kindergarten through grade six schools, including preschools at the General Shanks and West Jay buildings, returned to in-person classes Tuesday. The junior-senior high was on e-learning Tuesday, followed by remote learning Wednesday through Friday.

A text alert sent out at 7:57 p.m. Sunday indicated that a tornado touched down “outside of Portland.” 

By Monday evening, the National Weather Service determined that there were two tornadoes.

The second, stronger, tornado was rated an EF-1 on the Enhanced Fujita Scale, with winds reaching 110 miles per hour. It started near the intersection of county road 75 South and Joan Drive and “quickly gained intensity as it tracked east northeast,” according to a press release from the National Weather Service. 

The storm resulted in significant damage to the roof over the junior high area and IMC (library) of the junior-senior high, ripped most of the roof off of the home of Kyle Love at 2041 Indiana 67 and took out the bulk of the upper level of American Legion Post 211.

The tornado reached a maximum width of 75 yards, traveling 2.74 miles on a path through the field and wooded area on the south side of Tyson Road, then along Tyson Road and Water Street in Portland and angling slightly north to Walnut Street before dissipating about a block east of Meridian Street.

The first tornado was weaker and traveled less than 2 tenths of a mile in a cornfield just southeast of where the stronger tornado began. It was rated EF-U, indicating that wind speeds could not be determined because of a lack of damage and other evidence.

Jay School Corporation superintendent Jeremy Gulley said Tuesday morning that the goal is to return junior-senior high students to in-person learning Monday. The ability to do so, however, is dependent on getting the heating, ventilation and cooling (HVAC) system back up and running.

The system was hit hard Sunday night, with air handling units pushed out of place and the housing of one unit ending up on the school’s front lawn. Fluids from the system drained inside the building.

“When one part of a system goes down, it causes everything else to fail,” Gulley said.

Jay County Emergency Management Agency director Samantha Rhodehamel was not available for comment before press time.

According to a release posted to Jay County EMA’s Facebook page about 11 a.m. Tuesday, the department was continuing to process damage assessments and submissions.

“Jay County Emergency Management Agency is working with state officials specializing in public and individual assistance at Indiana Department of Homeland Security to determine next steps for the city and county,” the press release says.

The clean-up effort was underway in earnest Tuesday at the junior-senior high, with about 50 employees from Servpro on site along with semi trailers and mobile generators. (The company specializes in clean-up and restoration following events such as floods, fires and tornadoes.) The work includes putting a tarp over the damaged area of the roof, sealing broken doors and windows, drying out and vacuuming liquids, and general cleaning. Gulley said he expects those efforts to continue through the rest of the week.

The public is asked to stay away from the south and east parking lots as crews continue clean-up work.

Insurance adjusters have also been on site.

“This is significant damage, as we all know,” he said.

Jay Schools administrators are working on plans to bring students back. They involve utilizing any available space in the building to house students and teachers whose classrooms will not be available because of the tornado damage. Unused classrooms will be the first option — that includes classrooms that have teachers on their prep periods — followed by open spaces such as the gym and its balconies, the commons, the auxiliary gym and the pool hallway and adjacent breezeway.

For the longer term, Gulley has inquired with insurance adjusters about the possibility of bringing in temporary mobile classrooms.

“That is the common practice for schools that are hit by tornadoes,”  he said, noting that mobile classrooms were used at what was then East Jay Middle School when the 1923 portion of the building was torn down.

Gulley said parents should expect to receive an email Thursday afternoon with additional details about the school corporation’s plans.

In addition to school staff working on plans for returning to in-person classes at the junior-senior high, Gulley said there may be a need for additional help. He planned to put out a call for volunteers on the school corporation’s Facebook page. Such volunteers could be utilized to help move furniture and other items if and when such needs arise.

The American Legion post, 211 W. Walnut St., Portland, still didn’t have electricity as of Tuesday morning. Hopes were for power to be restored by the end of the day.

    Anthony Campofiore hands a metal panel down the side of The American Legion Post 211 to Larry Fifer on Tuesday morning. The All Weather Heating and Air Conditioning employees checked out damage on top of the roof to the building, which has been covered in plastic tarp since the tornado struck Sunday night. As of Tuesday morning, The American Legion did not have electricity but hoped to have it restored by the end of the day. (The Commercial Review/Bailey Cline)

Its exposed roof areas have been covered since Monday morning with plastic tarp to protect against rain. 

Members of The American Legion said an assessor would be visiting the building at 1 p.m. Tuesday, after which point they planned to begin cleanup efforts inside.

The City of Portland asked residents to place tree debris near curbs or alleys for the street department to remove it. Tree debris for residents outside of Portland can be taken from 6 a.m. to 4 p.m. today and Thursday at a drop-off location on county road 100 East, just south of Jay County Highway Department.

Indiana Department of Homeland Security has created a hotline for residents of Jay County to report damage from Sunday’s storms at in211.communityos.org or (866) 211-9966.

Report agricultural damage to the Jay County Purdue Extension Office at (260) 726-4707.