Communicating storm damage at risk in Fulton County

ROCHESTER, Ind. -- Over the past 24 hours we’ve seen plenty of damage reports roll in, with our comment section full of pictures and videos from people like you. We’d like to thank you for sending in those images, because they can be very important.

"We're looking for building damage, and you know, obviously there's a power line that's been down. It's still arcane the day after the event. We certainly want to know about that so we can get the proper authorities out there and get that handled."

Stephen Berggren, Deputy Director of the Fulton County Emergency Management Agency, works hand in hand with those who report storm damage, but one of the ways damages is communicated was taken down by the storm.

A 35-foot radio tower, now flat on the ground.

"Several of our volunteers are also members of the radio club, and they play a vital role for us to give communications to those not within the county or in the outskirts of the county, particularly when weather does come out real bad and we lose the internet and cell phone service goes out, they're able to still push the information out to somebody else that's out there."

With another round of potentially severe weather headed our way Berggren tells me he's thankful many of the radio operators who relay damage reports and observations back to the e-m-a are still able to broadcast using equipment at home.

"We've seen it time and time again with different you know, all across the country, when severe weather of any kind comes in, phones go out, TV goes out, radio is always still going to be there. These guys are able to talk across the world from this building here."

ABC57 has been told there aren't any plans at the moment to get the tower back up, but Emergency Management Agencies across Indiana are encouraging residents to call 2-1-1 to report damage.