Update as of 10 a.m. Saturday
Two deaths have been reported in Clark County, three in Scott County, three in Washington County and four in Jefferson County.
In Clark County alone, 400 power lines are down, leaving about 3,000-5,000 people without power.
Family and friends can call 800-872-06743 or 812-246-5424 to locate family members.
Update as of 12:39 a.m. Saturday
Before the storm hit Marysville, the tornado ran through Henryville, Ind., a little more than 10 miles away. As of now, officials report only one Henryville resident died in the tornado.
Around 2:30 p.m., the tornado’s path crossed Henryville Junior Senior High School, taking off the building’s roof.
“It’s pretty much totally destroyed,” said Clark County Sheriff Danny Rodden. “We’re lucky, we got kids, staff, faculty, everybody got out safe. There were no fatalities. Probably some injuries, but nothing devastating as far as fatalities.”
Rodden said about 30 students were rescued from the building after the tornado hit, and most students had left the premises on buses before the storm.
At 9 p.m. Friday, volunteers from counties around Henryville gathered at the Monroe Township Volunteer Fire Department. Indiana State Police Sgt. Jerry Goodin said Henryville is the command center for Clark, Scott and Washington counties because Clark County suffered the most damage.
“So what we’re telling people in Scott County and Washington County or any other county that’s received damage, it’s important to contact us and give us the information,” Goodin said. “We’re going to go out and search and find those folks that you’re worried about.”
Update as of 10 p.m. Friday
A light blue water tower reading “Marysville” hovers over a small white church, now with shattered windows and its front door ripped from its hinges by a tornado that hit the small town Friday afternoon.
Marysville, Ind., a town of about 1,900 residents, is about 75 percent destroyed, said Jason Cochran, deputy chief of the New Washington Fire and EMS Department. The tornado devastated the town at approximately 3:30 p.m. Friday.
Friday evening, residents displaced from the storm were still gathering their belongings – pets, photographs, anything left – and leaving town.
Two injuries from the storm have been reported so far, Cochran said. Rescue teams saved one man from the second floor of his now-destroyed home.
So far, no deaths have been reported in Marysville.
Marysville Hardware is one of the few buildings in Marysville still standing without substantial structural damage. The owners, Sue and JR Righthouse, and other employees waited out the storm in the business’s bathroom. Now, the small business acts as a meeting location for rescue teams and community members.
“Say a prayer for this town,” Sue Righthouse said.
Displaced Marysville residents are being given an option to find refuge at Charleston High School in Charleston, Ind.