Storm damage in LaPorte after yesterday's storm

LAPORTE, Ind. -- Amish Structures in the Michigan City area have been at work since five this morning, cleaning up the piles of debris from the severe storm last night.

Employees here say they've had much stronger storms come through this area before and the building has been basically untouched.

This time around, they were not so lucky.

Donnie Pawlik has owned the business here off US 20 for more than 10 years.

Pawlik just put a new roof on the building last year.

Strong storms Thursday night sent parts of his roof across the highway and a long way down Longwood Drive nearby.

The damage is extensive, and not what Pawlik expected when he got a call last night.

"When I heard the phone ring, I just had a feeling, I feel this ain't good, and I answered it, and that's when I got wind that the roof came off the building. Furniture was blown all over the place, their sheds turned over, all blown into each other, and it was pretty much utter disbelief," stated Amish Structure Owner Donnie Pawlik.

Seeing not just the roof in shambles but the sheds and furniture thrown about and overturned left Pawlik at a loss for words.

Despite the damage, he's hoping to reopen the business in about two or three weeks, so hopefully Michigan City and the rest of Michiana avoid another round of severe storms.