Clean-up crews have been hard at work in several Kokomo neighborhoods after tornadoes touched down Wednesday.
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About a dozen people were injured as twisters tore through central IN causing “substantial damage to property”, according to Kokomo Mayor Greg Goodnight.
In 2013, Kokomo was hit by a tornado that took a similar path, so it’s déj vu for many there.
The Indianapolis Colts have made a pledge Thursday to help victims across the state who were affected by Wednesday’s tornadoes.
An EF-1 tornado that formed near Flora in Carroll County traveled more than 17 miles on the ground before reaching Kokomo with winds as high as 100 mph.
“I’m confident in the resilience of the people in our community”, he said.
Donald Trump’s running mate arrived in Kokomo by helicopter to view the damage Thursday morning, a day after heavy storms spawned tornadoes across north and central Indiana. However, it’s estimated 20 to 30 cars have been damaged.
In Ohio, damage was reported in four counties, including Van Wert County, where officials said at least two tornadoes touched down about 2 miles apart, tearing roofs off homes and flattening barns.
Howard County and Kokomo initially declared a state of emergency and ordered everyone to stay off the roads to make room for emergency responders and government and other public workers.
He said at a Thursday morning news conference that 220 people are now staying in the American Red Cross’s temporary shelter.
At a meeting in Indianapolis Wednesday, Pence was briefed by emergency operations personnel about the extent of the destruction. There is no school Thursday in Kokomo and the traffic lights are out.
The governor was quick to tweet a number of pictures showing him working with leaders at his state’s Department of Homeland security.
Pence returned to his home state Wednesday evening. The Weather Channel says the twister touched down at 3:24pm.
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If you have ever seen a movie like Twister, then you know how unsafe and frightening tornados can be. He told the reporter that people were trapped but uninjured after it collapsed.
