Indiana
Elderly couple identified as the 2 killed in Lake Village, Indiana, during suspected tornado touchdown
An elderly couple died after a possible tornado ripped through the town.
The couple’s family said they’re shocked that Tuesday night’s tornado leveled their grandparents’ home and took their lives.
“Obviously, we’ve never seen anything remotely resembling this,” said son-in-law Steve Rhefeldt.
A place that Ed Kozlowski, 89, and his wife, Arlene, 86, once called home is now gone.
“They were wonderful, just really wonderful human beings. You know, tough old guy and sweet old lady,” he said.
The Indiana Urban Search and Rescue team was spotted on Wednesday sifting through the debris along with Rhefeldt and his son, Matthew, who traveled from Peotone to see the damage.
The elderly couple was unable to get out of the debris alive. Relatives believe that everything happened within the blink of an eye.
“They’ve lived a good life, and boy, you kind of… I have to imagine this was just “hey, what’s going on?” and it was over that quick,” Steve said.
The family said they were in the process of planning Ed’s 90th birthday at the home the couple had lived in for years. Everything the couple built is now gone.
“We were talking on the way here. These cars, there’s big heavy V8 engines in big trucks, and the wind is literally taking his car, which was parked somewhere, maybe right there, and taking it and flipping it upside down,” Steve said.
The couple had four kids, seven grandchildren, and great-grandchildren.
Lake Village was left with extensive damage that crews are just starting to clear. Steven Travis said he survived the tornado but lost everything.
“Roof’s gone all in 20 seconds. I walked in the bedroom, got knocked down, climbed in the closet, and it was over. Come back out, climbed out, and the roof’s gone, everything. Trees are down, windows blowed out. Lost everything,” Steven said.
North Newton High School in Lake Village is serving as an emergency shelter for anyone displaced by the storm. The Lake Village Fire Department is also serving as a rallying point.
Newton County officials confirmed that more than 100 buildings were damaged in Lake Village and more than 30 were destroyed.