The National Weather Service confirmed the EF3 in Kokomo, an EF2 in Montgomery County and two EF1s in Howard County, meteorologist Joseph Nield said, adding that it’s likely several other tornadoes touched down.
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The mayor of Kokomo says crews from elsewhere in the state are coming to the central in city to help restore power and clean up debris in the tornado-hit community.
Several tornadoes were reported Wednesday evening in OH, and several were responsible for structural damage in western parts of the state.
Television station WTHR showed images of a toppled Starbucks in Kokomo.
Wednesday afternoon’s storms brought a tornado with winds that possibly reached 135-160 miles per hour in northeastern Allen County, Indiana, before the storm moved into OH, according to a preliminary report from the National Weather Service in Northern Indiana.
He says about 220 people stayed overnight in a temporary shelter in Kokomo, about 40 miles north of Indianapolis. But surveys were continuing and the storm tally was expected to rise, said Mike Ryan, a weather service meteorologist in Indianapolis.
Some houses and farm buildings were damaged by storms in rural areas near Fort Wayne, Indiana, and the Montgomery County community of Mace, about 35 miles northwest of Indianapolis.
Top Indiana officials have visited a tornado-ravaged neighborhood in Kokomo.
Indianapolis Power & Light Co. says about 22,000 homes and businesses lost electricity, with the vast majority on the city’s north and northeast sides.
Of the properties hit in Kokomo, some 170 of them sustained serious damage, Indiana State Police Sgt.
Multiple twisters struck central Indiana Wednesday – damaging homes, leveling buildings and piling cars on top of one another like toys.
“It’s a miracle and it’s a testament to good common sense”, Pence said. Download the Storm Shield Weather Radio App for your iPhone or Android device and get severe weather alerts wherever you are.
Police have restricted access to storm-damage neighborhoods, saying residents must show identification to officers before entering.
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Pence says he’ll remain in the state as long as necessary to ensure people affected by the storms have the support they need.
