Tornado confirmed in Floyd County

Clark County

Be wary of storm-damage-repair scams

The Better Business Bureau urges homeowners to use extreme caution when dealing with “door-to-door” or “out-of-state” solicitors when looking for contractors following this week’s severe weather. The organization offers the following tips:
• Contact your insurance company immediately.
• Deal only with licensed and insured contractors. Verify the track record of any roofer, builder or contractor you’re thinking of hiring. Ask for a list of recent customers and call them.
• Get recommendations from friends, relatives, neighbors, co-workers, insurance agents or claims adjusters. Also check with the local Better Business Bureau and Home Builders Association to see if complaints have been lodged against any contractor you’re considering.
• Get two to three estimates before you decide who to hire for the job.
• Take your time signing a contract. Get a written estimate that includes any oral promises the contractor made. But remember to ask if there’s a charge for an estimate before allowing anyone into your home. Ask for explanations for price variations and don’t automatically choose the lowest bidder. Get a copy of the final, signed contract before the job begins.
• Resist dealing with any contractor who asks you to pay for the entire job up-front. A deposit of one-third of the total price is standard procedure. Pay only by check or credit card — and pay the final amount only after the work is completed to your satisfaction. Don’t pay cash.
• Be skeptical of contractors who encourage you to spend a lot of money on temporary repairs. Make sure there’s enough money for permanent repairs.
• Ask a knowledgeable friend, relative or attorney to review a home repair contract before you sign. If you get a loan to pay for the work, be cautious about using your home as security: If you don't repay the loan as agreed, you could lose your home. Consider asking an attorney to review the loan documents, as well.
— News and Tribune

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January 18, 2012

By DAVID A. MANN David.Mann@newsandtribune.com The News and Tribune Wed Jan 18, 2012, 11:20 PM EST

> SOUTHERN INDIANA — The National Weather Service has confirmed it was an EF-1 tornado that hit Floyd County on Tuesday at about 11 a.m. Winds in that storm reached about 100 mph and the twister cut a 1.2 mile-long, 50-yard-wide path.

According to the weather service, the tornado first touched down on East Riley Road, where a garage was destroyed. It then continued east across the Knobs toward Binford Road, where it took multiple trees down. It then crossed Paoli Pike just north of Interstate 265 and caused roof damage at the Knobs Pointe Apartments.

It was one of several tornadoes to hit the area during this most recent outbreak. The weather service confirmed Tuesday that a slightly weaker tornado hit Veterans Parkway in Clarksville, near Walmart before moving into Jeffersonville. Three more were noted in Louisville; one was confirmed in Scott County; and one more was confirmed in Jefferson County, Indiana, at the Madison Municipal Airport.

The weather service called it the region’s most prolific January tornado outbreak ever recorded. The forecast is quieter for the next few days with temperatures in the 40s and 50s and some rain expected. Storms could return next week.