Indiana is well known for its terrifying storms. While most people think of nasty tornadoes or blinding snowstorms when they think of our humble state, true Hoosiers know that ice storms are some of the worst around - way worse than your average blizzard. Take a look at this terrifying 1991 ice storm in Indiana, for example:
Ice storms are a regular part of winter in Indiana, but all Hoosiers know that a terrible ice storm can be deadlier and far more terrifying than any other type of winter weather.
Even just a half-inch of ice - which doesn't sound like that much in theory - can utterly cripple an entire town, city, or even county. The more ice that comes, the worse the impact, and sometimes, worst-case scenario unfolds.
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In 1991, there was a devastating ice storm that shut down parts of Indiana for nearly two weeks.
Many major roads were closed for weeks due to fallen power lines or trees. Altogether, the damage was estimated around $100 million. Take a look below to see more of this terrifying storm in action:
Do you recall this devastating historic ice storm? For a look at some more of Indiana's worst winter storm nightmares, check out this article. Need more winter wonderland in your life right about now? No worries! Check out this awesome article about some delightful winter attractions that are way better than simply going to the mall.
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Do you have a favorite winter wonderland here in Indiana you like to visit when it gets chilly outside? Tell us about it using this form and you might just see your idea featured someday!
In the 1940s, the US Army established an enormous ammunition manufacturing plant near Charlestown, Indiana. The plant would manufacture a few specific things: rocket propellant, propellant charge bags, and, most famously, smokeless gunpowder. Word spread of the coming plant, and very quickly, people interested in jobs began flocking to the area. River Ridge, Indiana, was born!
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Between 1940 and 1942, approximately 13,000 people moved to Charlestown and the area surrounding the soon-to-be-finished ammunition plant. Construction finished, and the plant opened in 1942—just in time for World War II. The newly minted town predictably went nuts, and jobs exploded. River Ridge became a neighborhood on the premises of the Ammunition Plant for high-ranking officials and their families; shops and amenities began appearing nearby.
During this time, the River Ridge Post Office saw a 300% increase in mail volume; soon enough, the neighborhood also had a baseball diamond, basketball courts, horseshoe pits, a pool, and more. It was alive and vibrantly so.
Afternoon sun shines on ruined historic homes in the post industrial downtown Gary, Indiana, USA.
At its peak, the Army Ammunition complex boasted more than 800 buildings; 17 of those were homes. World War II and subsequent conflicts provided the plant with seemingly endless work. Over the most productive years, the Indiana Army Ammunition Plant had literally tens of thousands of employees.
The plant managed to stay afloat fairly well in the decades after World War II; it faithfully produced gunpowder for several international conflicts the US was involved in up until the end of the Vietnam War.
The town of River Ridge was slowly dying, however; families moved away, and one by one, homes and businesses began shutting their doors forever. The River Ridge neighborhood began to decay without anyone left to care for it or keep it up. In August 1991, the US Army decided to cease production completely. This call sealed River Ridge's fate forever.
Okay, so maybe the abandonment of this once-lively neighborhood wasn't exactly "mysterious," but it's always very weird to watch flourishing homes and entire towns turn totally desolate over the course of just a few years. In 1997, 6,000 acres of plant grounds were formally transferred to the Clark County Reuse Authority. The remaining land, approximately 4,000 acres, was donated to what is now the Charlestown State Park.
Covered car at night in a residential neighborhood
After the war in Vietnam ended, production at the plant decreased dramatically. Layoffs began around that time, and thus, it was clearly the beginning of the end. It wasn't about to die out without a fight, though. Over the years, many ideas for repurposing the plant were dreamt up, though ultimately, nothing ever came to fruition. By 1987, fewer than 1,000 employees remained, and the plant and the surrounding town were in decline.
But nowadays, River Ridge Commerce Center in southern Indiana, near Jeffersonville, is a prominent business and industrial park developed on the grounds of the former Indiana Army Ammunition Plant. The former military site has been transformed into a vital economic hub, providing space for various businesses and industries while creating numerous jobs in the region. The development of River Ridge represents a successful repurposing of a decommissioned military facility into a driver of local economic activity.
Intriguingly, Charlestown State Park is also the site of an abandoned theme park. Read more about the abandoned theme park on the same grounds as what used to be River Ridge, Indiana. Have you ever visited this state park and the abandoned memories it holds? Tell us about it in the comments! And if you do go exploring, make sure to grab some sturdy boots at Backcountry.com.
It was November 22, 1992. The holiday season was just getting underway, and families across the nation were gathering to celebrate gratitude and togetherness. Unfortunately, for many families across the southern, central, and Midwestern United States, the start of the holidays would be scarred by a terrifying historic weather event. This unusual November tornado outbreak in Indiana was like something out of a horror movie, and sadly, it had deadly consequences.
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Writer's Note: There are very, very few Creative Commons-licensed photos of this event available. For this article, the writer has chosen some photos from other storm events to illustrate the story.
The outbreak of 1992 lasted for 41 hours, and during that time, there were 95 tornadoes - though there might have actually been more that were not officially recorded for multiple potential reasons.
It began November 21st when 32 tornadoes touched down over several states. Terrifyingly, four of those tornadoes would be rated F4s - the second-strongest type of tornado on the Fujita Scale (now the Enhanced Fujita Scale, which changed things up a bit and added an E to the EF-Scale in 2007, among other things). F4/EF4 tornadoes were/are quite rare; only about 1.1% of all tornadoes will be rated EF4s, and even less than that will be rated EF5.
Indiana received the brunt of its tornadoes on November 22nd; on this day, there would be 15 tornadoes that ripped through the Hoosier State - one of which would be rated F4. This outbreak was unusual for a few reasons, most notably that it occurred at the end of November. The vast majority of tornadoes and severe weather occurs in Indiana during the late spring into summer; they tend to spin up during the months of May, June, and July, with occasional late-summer events occurring from time to time.
Although the National Weather Service and the National Severe Storms Laboratory were well aware of what was coming and did their best to alert the public of the threat, the general populace of the Midwest was not at all accustomed to the idea of tornadoes in November.
Oftentimes, folks become desensitized to warnings when they don't pan out, and as a result, they begin to ignore future warnings as well, assuming that nothing will happen - especially when an event is particularly unusual like this one was. This historic, late-autumn tornado outbreak would claim the lives of 26 people and traumatize tens of thousands more.
The worst of the 15 tornadoes to tear through Indiana was a powerful F4 that touched down near Worthville, Kentucky, and trekked a terrifying 26.7 miles, obliterating homes and farms along the way.
It finally lifted northeast of Antioch, Indiana, but not before doing significant and horrific damage. This tornado crossed the Ohio River not once but twice, and it killed one person and injured dozens more. Most notably, debris from this tornado was found up to five miles away from the parent damage path, indicating incredible winds aloft that ensured all sorts of things made their way into towns that had just narrowly avoided being tornado fodder themselves.
This unusual outbreak was a devastating reminder of just how terrifying severe weather can be - no matter when it strikes.
Over the course of this deadly outbreak, there were 95 (confirmed) tornadoes; of those 95, 12 were F0s, 36 were F1s, 26 were F2s, 15 were F3s, and six were F4s. As far as Indiana was concerned, of its 15 confirmed tornadoes on November 22nd, five were F1s, four were F2s, five were F3s, and just one was F4.
The intense emotional devastation aside, the physical/property damage for this tornado outbreak was enormous.
The storms did more than $300 million in damage, which would be about $566 million today. The event was an exercise in the unfathomable power of nature; for something like this to occur in November, of all months, was almost unheard of.
From 1911 to 2021, there have been just 12 F4 or EF4 tornadoes in the Hoosier State during the 11th month of the year. Four of those occurred during the November 1992 outbreak.
On a slightly less scary note, if you find yourself looking for fun stuff to do in Indiana, be sure to check out some of the cool goings-on with our friends at Airbnb Experiences.
