Palm Sunday Tornado Destroys Russiaville and it's Fire Department
On Palm Sunday April 11, 1965 seventy-eight tornadoes (38 significant, 19 violent, 21 killers) hit the Midwest. It was the deadliest tornado outbreak in Indiana history as 11 tornadoes struck 20 counties in central and northern Indiana, killing 137 people. More than 1,700 people were injured and property damage exceeded $30 million.. At just before 7:30pm, a massive tornado slammed into the town of Russiaville. 90% of the towns buildings and homes were destroyed, leaving several dead. The fire station was one of those completely destroyed and the Town's two fire apparatus were buried underneath the rubble of the concrete and brick station. The storm then churned into nearby Alto, obliterating it completely, before striking the southern edge of the larger city of Kokomo. As the tornado continued east, it killed ten more people in Greentown, most of whom had been riding in automobiles that were hurled across the landscape. More destruction ensued in Marion, Indiana, before the storm crossed into Ohio.