70 Volunteers Rally to Help 230 Families After Indiana Storm

When 99 mph winds tore through Northwest Indiana on August 11, knocking out power to thousands, Portage Township Trustee Brendan Clancy knew he had to act fast. Within two days, he turned Haven Hollow Park into a lifeline for his community.

More than 70 volunteers gathered Wednesday afternoon with tarps, water, flashlights, diapers, hot meals, and even children's books. Over two hours, they loaded cars, wagons, and one golf cart with supplies for 230 families still struggling without power.

"All right, who's ready?" Clancy called out to the waiting volunteers. "Let's do this!"

The derecho brought straight-line winds that toppled trees, snapped utility poles, and damaged homes across the region. Some families were entering their eighth day without electricity, and the utility company estimated full power restoration wouldn't come until August 25.

What makes this story remarkable is how quickly the community responded. Within 24 hours of the storm, the Bonner Senior Center became an emergency shelter, serving 570 meals and providing 152 overnight stays. The Porter County Emergency Management Agency brought cots and bedding, while volunteers set up movies, a projector, and even a popcorn maker for displaced families.

"Everybody I called is like, we'll be there," Clancy said. Even Ohio County, 200 miles away in southeastern Indiana, sent water, sports drinks, and diapers.

Many volunteers were still without power themselves but showed up anyway. Clancy himself had no electricity at home.

Patti Burton, a retiree whose house flooded with six inches of water, walked away with tarps, charcoal, diapers for her great-grandchildren, and a children's book. A large branch had nearly totaled her car. "Everybody's being nice. I have to admit that," she said.

The Ripple Effect

American Legion Post 502 members grilled hot dogs for families. South Haven Lions Club volunteers handed out sandwiches. People from neighboring towns drove supplies across county lines without being asked.

Kirt Raisor from the American Legion grabbed tarps from the distribution and immediately drove them to a woman whose house was struck by a tree and couldn't leave her home. He didn't wait for someone to coordinate it; he just went.

"It's not about Portage Township government," Clancy explained. "It's about the community and everybody coming together."

As power slowly returns and refrigerators hum back to life, the real story isn't about the storm that hit Northwest Indiana. It's about the 70 neighbors who proved that communities grow strongest when the winds blow hardest.