A Nightmare in Sullivan

Sullivan, Ind.

A supercell forms and a wall cloud pushes north of Beardstown, Ill. March 31, 2023, towards Peoria, Ill. The squall line of thunderstorms moves through Illinois towards Indiana as a historic line of thunderstorms spawns tornados from Little Rock, Ark. to Chicago, Ill.

Robert Keller, a city worker, works to remove a fallen tree with the rest of his crew and neighbors April 1, 2023, after a tornado ripped through Sullivan, Ind. Neighbors are helping neighbors as many emergency first responders are busy looking for survivors.

A police officer makes a call while looking at destroyed homes April 1, 2023, after an EF-3 tornado ripped through Sullivan, Ind.

Kathie Cox sifts through the rubble of her home April 1, 2023, after a tornado ripped through a community in Sullivan, Ind. Cox like so many others in Sullivan did not have house insurance and has lost nearly everything due to the storm.

Debris litters the ground as over 150 homes were completely destroyed April 1, 2023, after an EF-3 tornado ripped through a community in Sullivan, Ind. Three residents of Sullivan were killed in the tornado as search and rescue efforts continue.

Theresa Brown, right, goes through what is left of her destroyed home with her daughter Keely Brown April 1, 2023, after an EF-3 tornado ripped through their community in Sullivan, Ind.

Keely Brown goes through notebooks and binders as her family salvages what they can April 1, 2023, after a tornado ripped through their community and destroyed their home in Sullivan, Ind.

A shattered picture of Theresa Brown sits in the rubble of her home April 1, 2023, after an EF-3 tornado ripped through her community in Sullivan, Ind. She says she is grateful her family survived and was unharmed, but is overwhelmed when facing the total destruction of her home.

A two-by-four sits lodged in a car's windshield after shattering it as an EF-3 tornado ripped through a community in Sullivan, Ind. April 1, 2023. Many residents of Sullivan did not have home or car insurance, which left them to wonder how they will financially recover from such a destructive storm.

The town of Sullivan, Ind. April 1, 2023, after an EF-3 tornado ripped through the community the night prior.