"Jasper lost between 50 and 60 homes"... Shelter has been opened within the City

Following the tornadoes that hit Jasper County, search and rescue teams have been going door to door in areas of Jasper.

Jasper County Judge Mark Allen said, "So far all citizens have been accounted for. We had two individuals with reported injuries who were treated at Jasper Memorial Hospital, but no serious injuries or deaths". With the number of tornadoes in the area, that is really saying a lot.

The City of Kirbyville faired well. In fact, they didn't lose power until the very end of the storm. Kirbyville Mayor Frank George said, "I can only think what it would have been like if we were still with Energy and the old substation. So over all I am pleased with how well we came out. Our guys are out on the last outage . A service pulled down at house on Hebo".

When asked if he knows how many homes were destroyed in the Jasper area, Beech Grove Fire Chief James Gunter said, "No.....a bunch. Between all locations 50-60?"By anyone's estimate , that is a sobering number.

When asked about the number of homes destroyed, Judge Allen said, "Yes, I'd say that is correct. (50-60) A few businesses as well and some infrastructure. We have a state saw team en route to assist with debris cleanup along the county roads and tarps (have been) ordered to assist homeowners with roof damage".

Allen added, "The City of Jasper and the unincorporated area around Jasper were ground zero. We had several trees down and isolated flooding, along with power outages in several parts of the county as well, but it looks like the only tornado damage occurred in Jasper".

Allen stated that the shelter that has been established is Nehemiah's Family Life Center at 640 Pollard Street in Jasper. The American Red Cross will be conducting the sheltering operation. Anyone in need of shelter is asked to go to that location or contact the Red Cross to help with transportation.