"They were wonderful, just really wonderful human beings" said the victims' son-in-law
Credit: Michael Hickey/Getty
NEED TO KNOW
- The couple who died when a tornado hit their Lake Village, Ind., home on March 10 has been identified as Edward L. Kozlowski, 89, and his wife Arlene Kozlowski, 84
- Family said that the Kozlowskis were married for more than 60 years
- The tornado that hit the couple’s home has received a preliminary rating of EF-3
The elderly couple who died when a tornado hit their home in Indiana has been identified.
The pair died after a large tornado swept through Lake Village on the evening of Tuesday, March 10, and destroyed their home, according to a previous news release from Newton County Coroner's Office.
The coroner’s office has since identified the victims as Edward L. Kozlowski, 89, and his wife, Arlene Kozlowski, 84.
The Kozlowskis’ preliminary cause of death has been ruled as “multiple blunt force trauma,” officials said. An autopsy has been scheduled for Friday, March 13, at the Tippecanoe County Coroner’s Office in Lafayette.
Family told NBC News that the Kozlowskis were “really awesome humans” who were married for more than 60 years. Ed was a welder and fixed old cars.
The Kozlowskis had four kids, seven grandchildren, and great-grandchildren, according to local CBS station WBBM. Family said they were preparing to celebrate Ed’s 90th birthday.
“They were wonderful, just really wonderful human beings. You know, tough old guy and sweet old lady,” said son-in-law Steve Rhefeldt.
The National Weather Service in Chicago previously said the tornado that struck Newton County was among a “family” of twisters produced by a supercell thunderstorm that traveled across northern Illinois and northwestern Indiana on Tuesday.
The tornado that traveled 36.6 miles from Aroma Park, Ill., to near DeMotte, Ind., has received a preliminary rating of EF-3 on the Enhanced Fujita Scale, according to NWS Chicago.
The EF-3 damage was found near Aroma Park, while EF-2 damage was preliminarily found in the Lake Village area, the agency added.
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More than half a dozen tornadoes were reported in the central U.S. on Tuesday, according to USA Today.
The National Weather Service said the storm that produced the fatal tornado in Illinois and Indiana produced “exceptionally” large hail, including one hailstone in Kankakee that was reported to have a diameter of 6 inches, possibly setting an Illinois state record.
The Newton County Sheriff’s Office announced on Wednesday, March 11, that no additional significant injuries were reported from Tuesday's severe weather.
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