Henryville after the storm: An inside look

HENRYVILLE, Ind. (WISH) - School leaders on Tuesday gave the first good close-up look at the tornado damage in Henryville's Junior-Senior High School.

Workers have been inside since shortly after the storm hit. But, it's been too dangerous for anyone else to get in until now. It’s clear how much work lies ahead to get the building ready for students again.

The sign outside the school still says "Full of Hornet pride." At first glance, that appears to be about all that's left now.

Lt. Gov Becky Skillman joined the tour Tuesday.

"You know, you think you've witnessed destruction and devastation,” she said. “But the width and the breadth of this destruction does indeed just take your breath away."

The campus is a hard hat area now, since it’s a place of exposed beams and broken bricks. The school has sunshine in places where it doesn't belong – where the wind ripped the roof away.

School Superintendent Monty Schneider said some teachers have been allowed back into the building to recover some belongings. But some things are a complete loss, he said.

"If they were on the second floor in the elementary wing, that area's not there any more," he said.

The school system has a company collecting and stacking other equipment. It will also inventory what it collects from the lockers no one will be able to use for a long time now.

The superintendent hopes all of this can be repaired so kids can come back in the fall. He said he’s grateful that schools - which can be so competitive in athletics - are so cooperative now, helping Henryville recover.

Since other people may want to join the recovery, the Indiana Department of Homeland Security has a request: Don't go to the damaged areas without registering first. They'd like to be able to direct skills where they're needed, and volunteers just showing up could hinder the work that's being done now. More information about volunteering is available at the Indiana Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster website .