Man dies after severe storms in Starke County

STARKE COUNTY, Ind. -- A woman was injured and a man was killed after their mobile home was flipped upside down during severe weather, according to the Starke County Coroner's Office.

Around 10:30 p.m. Saturday, a microburst destroyed the mobile home at W CR 550 S and carried the carport over 200 yards away.

A Winnebago was also overturned.

The man, who was elderly, died.

The woman is in critical condition.

Just off a quiet rural road in San Pierre in Starke County sits a home in shambles.

“I was told when I first heard about it, it was a tornado, but everybody confirmed since then I guess it’s a microburst. It just kind of came down and hit one spot," Darrell Stalbaum said.

The Stalbaum family has lived on this road for decades.

"My uncle Randall lives just across the street. Just a mile down the street I got two aunts – one’s on one side one’s on the other," he said. "Pretty much this entire stretch from Highway 421 down cross into jasper county was Stalbaum owned.”

And on Saturday, it was one of Darrell Stalbaum's aunt's that first lost power.

"Her electric got knocked out RCM an RCM crew found this and called Starke County rescue and they came out. They weren’t even sure it was a tornado because there was no severe weather in the area," he said.

A quick storm.

"Didn’t damage anything else other than what it came down to tear up, flip over," he said. “Starke County assessor was saying there was no wind there was no warning just it happens.”

Leaving Darrell's father Lawrence dead and his stepmother Sharon in the hospital.

"He was always outside doing something, up until the last 2 years he has had some health issues with different things like I said he was 79 years old," he said. “He just got home a week or so ago - he had a heart condition in Fort Wayne.”

And their mobile home is now unrecognizable.

"It’s like it ripped it in half while it was flipping it over – I don’t know if that makes any sense," he said. "The carport actually got twisted and it’s up in that tree over there.”

Their next steps?

"Getting with the insurance companies and trying to clean up. There really isn’t anything to salvage besides picture and memorable paperwork," he said.

Darrell tells ABC57 his step-mom Sharon Stalbaum just had leg surgery but is doing well. She will have to be at a therapy center for the next 3 months.