(LAKE VILLAGE) - The two people killed when a tornado struck Lake Village Tuesday evening have been identified as Ed Kozlowski, 89, and his wife Arlene Kozlowski, 86.
Family members say the couple died when the storm destroyed the home they had lived in for years. Relatives described them as devoted grandparents who had built a life in the community surrounded by family.
The tornado hit shortly before 7 p.m. Tuesday, leveling homes and causing widespread damage across the northwest Indiana town. Officials say more than 100 buildings were damaged and at least 30 were destroyed.
Family members believe the storm struck with little warning and that the couple likely had only moments to react.
Search-and-rescue teams, including Indiana Task Force 1, spent Wednesday combing through debris in the neighborhood as recovery efforts continued.
The Kozlowskis leave behind four children, seven grandchildren, and several great-grandchildren. Relatives said the family had recently been planning Ed Kozlowski's upcoming 90th birthday.
Emergency officials opened North Newton High School as a temporary shelter for residents displaced by the storm.
Authorities say the same storm system also caused injuries in Kankakee County, Illinois, before moving into Indiana. Cleanup and damage assessments are continuing across the area.