One year later: Camp Atterbury's storm of the century

By Sgt. Robert G. Cooper III, Camp Atterbury Public AffairsJune 5, 2009

One year later: Camp AtterburyAca,!a,,cs storm of the century
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CAMP ATTERBURY JOINT MANEUVER TRAINING CENTER, Ind. (Army News Service, June 5, 2009) - Look around Camp Atterbury and it's hard to imagine that one year ago, a tornado ripped across one of the Army's premiere training centers.

The storm, which drew a line of devastation across Camp Atterbury's cantonment area last June, is long gone, along with most of the damages it wrought: broken gas and power lines, dozens of overturned civilian and military vehicles, more than $50 million in property damage, and miraculously, not one injury.

Thanks to a combination of inner-agency cooperation and a myriad of reconstruction projects, the post continues to support servicemembers from around the country even better one year later.

"Holy crap, sir, our building's gone!"

Maj. Ken Potchen, last year's director of public works at Camp Atterbury, said that he never experienced any storm like that of last year's F3 tornado, but was nonetheless expecting something big on the horizon the evening of June 3, 2008.

"I was watching the news and saw the storm coming through Camp Atterbury," he said, recalling last year's events. "I knew I had to get to post to assess the damage, and as I was getting dressed, I got a call from a Soldier that lives on post. He said, 'Holy crap, sir, our building's gone!' I knew it was going to be bad."

Post Deputy Commander Lt. Col. Ron Morris said that he too had received word that the storm had cut through the post and was immediately en route to the installation.

According to weather reports from the National Weather Service, the storm touched down around 10 p.m. that evening, and Morris said that he was barely ahead of the storm itself as he made his way toward the aftermath.

"I've never been that close to a tornado," he said. "When I got there, the post was a mess; there were downed power lines all over the place. The gas (from broken gas lines) was so strong it'd make your stomach turn."

After the tornado, Morris said that he was focused on one thing; the safety and well-being of those who had weathered the storm. Almost 2,000 Marines were on post at the time, in addition to Soldiers, civilian workers, campers and inmates at the on-post Indiana Department of Corrections facility. The storm had wound its way across Camp Atterbury that those on post ended up being mere yards from the tornado's path.

"The true miracle was that no one was hurt. If you look at the incredible damage, it certainly gives you a sense of awe," Morris said.

Bryan Pearson, the superintendent for Camp Atterbury's Indiana Department of Corrections, said that security concerns among his inmates were never compromised despite moderate damage to his facility's outer fence line and recreation yard.

Assessing the damage

After safety concerns and accountability among troops and others had been addressed, it was time to pick up the pieces. Potchen said he immediately contacted power companies to deal with the broken gas and power lines, as well as the post provost marshal to prevent anyone from traipsing through the immense amount of debris and heavily-damaged buildings.

In addition to the immediate mobilization of Soldiers both on- and off-post to address clean-up efforts, most of Camp Atterbury IDOC inmate population was called in to assist.

"As soon as we got the request, we began assembling teams," Pearson said. "We're always trying to assist the community, and I think it's more rewarding for the [inmates] and staff when it's in a time of need."

Five days after the tornado, record flooding throughout southern Indiana created an unwanted water-world for many Hoosiers.

"I think we received about 11 inches of rain in about four hours," Potchen said.

A dam burst near the small sub-division at Prince's Lakes that left more than 125 people stranded, prompting immediate evacuation of residents in and around the area. Morris praised the concerted efforts of both local and post emergency services that worked together during the entire process.

"To be able to come through this like we did... really speaks about the strength and partnerships we have with the community," he said.

Rebuilding

In total, Camp Atterbury has so far received more than $10 from Army Lease Proceeds, $5.7 million from the Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Army (Installations and Housing), more than $800,000 from the U.S. Army Installation Management Command and more than $22 million from the National Guard Bureau in emergency appropriations.

Potchen said that thanks to help from those agencies along with Indiana Congressmen Mike Pence and Steve Buyer, who visited Camp Atterbury following the tornado, more than 98 percent of the damages were repaired and even improved within four months of the catastrophe.

Today, estimates of the property damage stand at around $50.3 million from the more than 50 buildings damaged, in addition to more than $780,000 in equipment and logistical damage.

"We still don't have a final cost assessment, since we're constantly turning over stones to find damage," Potchen said. "It's a natural process of rehab."