One year ago, on March 31st, 2023, Crawford and Sullivan County experienced changes they will never forget.

On that day, there was talk about the big storm we were expected to get. As expected, no one really thought we would because usually when predicted it ends up passing us. Unfortunately, we did end up getting a storm, along with an EF 3 tornado.

This storm was the most deadly for us in over 50 years. Eight people were killed in Crawford, Sullivan, and Owen County.

That night the tornado watch was issued around 7 pm. The tornado warning was issued around 8 pm. When the tornado hit, residents of Crawford County had around 14 minutes of lead time to prepare. Sullivan residents had about 20-22 minutes of time to prepare. The tornado lifted after Sullivan, and then touched down in Owen County.

In Crawford County, the tornado hit the south side, right outside on Robinson. The tornado then traveled on the south side of Gordon Junction destroying many houses and the Lincoln Trail College South Campus. The tornado then traveled northeast, hitting many more homes in the Palestine area and destroying the Crawford County Airport. The tornado then crossed the Wabash River, hitting Sullivan.

To this day, our community is helping the victims who lost everything. Houses are still being rebuilt, along with the airport. Many have been able to recover some of their belongings, which is amazing. Cody Yager at the CC Airport claims the airport will be even better than before. The LTC Campus will get an add on for their building that was destroyed. This new building will cost $6 million dollars.

With remembering the storm, the biggest thing to remember is the lives lost. Susan Kay Horton, Thomas Randall Horton, Shane Goodman, Rebecca Sue Bradbury, Donavan Douglas, Sue Chronic, Brian Kincaid, and Wendy Kincaid. Houses can be replaced, but these lives cannot.