Henry County emergency teams evacuate mobile home residents, distribute sandbags and send 15,537 alert messages during April storms

Henry County emergency management staff reported evacuations, sandbagging operations and heavy use of the county alert system after severe storms April 2–7, the council heard April 9.

Troy (emergency management staff) said on April 5 dispatch notified multiple local fire departments and Newcastle-Henry County EMS about rising water at a mobile home park on South 103 and 500 South; Strong, Lewisville and Spiceland fire departments assisted evacuations. “There were some that were reluctant to leave, but we informed them that we had a place for them to go,” Troy said. He reported about 12 mobile homes and roughly eight to 12 people and their pets were displaced and later returned home when conditions permitted.

Sandbagging operations began Saturday and extended into Sunday; county staff recorded 218 sandbags distributed to residents. Troy said emergency communications systems sent 15,537 outbound messages from April 4 through April 7 — 11,827 of those were for the tornado warning — and he reported utility restoration work returned power by the morning of April 7.

Why it matters: the report shows local agencies coordinated multi-department evacuations and public communications during fast-moving weather events and that a small number of residents were temporarily displaced. Council members thanked emergency responders for their work.

Ending: The council did not take formal action on the report; staff said damage assessments and restoration continued.