Fences from a row of houses in the Madison Meadows subdivision were damaged in Friday's storm.
The Forest Hills subdivision just east of Broadway in Merrillville sustained substantial damage to trees and houses from Friday night's storm.
Crews repair poles Saturday on 73rd Avenue in Merrillville that were partially knocked over in Friday's storm.
Part of this house in the Forest Hills subdivision just east of Broadway in Merrillville was separated from the rest by high winds in Friday night's storm.
VIEW: To see damage from the storm, point your smartphone camera at the QR code, then tap the link.
High winds separated sections of this house in the Forest Hills subdivision just east of Broadway in Merrillville.
MERRILLVILLE — Gregory Washington was sitting on the couch in his brother's house Friday night when he heard a piercing crack of a nearby window.
"I was sitting watching the Weather Channel when the window blew in on me," he said.
Washington's brother, Julius, who owns the house near the corner of West 76th Avenue and Jackson Street in the Madison Meadows neighborhood, was at his desk when he heard the noise.
"I said, 'That don't sound normal'," Julius said. "I went and hid underneath my desk."
The Washingtons are among the many people who were affected by the ferocious weather Friday evening in northwest Indiana, characterized by high winds and heavy rain. A representative from the National Weather Service said it has not determined whether the winds transformed into a tornado.
"We're still assessing what happened," the representative said. "Right now, we have a report of thunderstorm and wind damage. We're still assessing whether it was straight-line winds or tornadic in nature."
On Saturday afternoon, more than 2,500 NIPSCO customers were without power, down from 21,000 since its peak after 9 p.m. Friday. Crews are out repairing the outages, but damaged poles have complicated the repair efforts, according to a news release from the Town of Merrillville.
The Dean and Barbara White Community Center, 6600 Broadway, was opened as a warming center Saturday evening for those who do not have power.
About 1,000 NIPSCO customers in Hobart also were without power, along with hundreds of homes in Valparaiso, Crown Point and Portage. Traffic lights were out on many of Merrillville's major roads Saturday morning, but some have been fixed. Roads with downed power lines have been cleared, a town representative reported.
By 7 p.m. Saturday, more than 1,000 Merrillville residents were without power. A few hundred residents in Hobart, Valparaiso, Crown Point and Portage had power restored, but many were still without.
Washington said his house is still livable, but many other residents in that area have been displaced. Roofs were ripped off houses and debris littered lawns in Madison Meadows.
In the Forest Hills neighborhood east of Broadway, residents cleared tree trunks and branches from their yards. One resident sawed the damp wood from a large tree that had been ripped from the ground by the wind, leaving a massive hole where the roots once were.
Lou Oseguera said his wife was heading to bed around 9:15 p.m. in Forest Hills when they saw a tree fall right through their bedroom.
"I've lived here 14 years, and I've never seen anything this bad," he said.
When some of the heavier winds subsided, Oseguera and his neighbors came out to check on each other. He said he saw cars and residences damaged but is grateful that no one was injured.
"It's all just stuff," Oseguera said. "It can be replaced."
Oseguera's house is structurally intact, so he and his wife plan to stay while the roof is fixed. They probably will be sleeping in their living room, he said.
Salvation Army Capt. Bersa Vera said she began driving around the neighborhoods at 9 a.m. Saturday, assessing the damage and offering to help set up displaced residents in hotels. The Salvation Army distributed food, water and other supplies to residents in need.
"This is sad," Vera said. "We want to be here to help the people and know they're not alone."
Ross Township Trustee Eric Blackman announced on Facebook he will provide food, support and other assistance to those affected by the storm 1-3 p.m. Sunday at the Ross Township Trustee Office.
Hoosiers affected by the severe storms are asked to contact Indiana 211 (dial 2-1-1 or 866-211-9966) to report damages and help with a damage assessment.
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