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.
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Meteorologist Dave Tucek says a tornado moved from the southwest side of Kokomo to the east-central side of that city.
A series of at least 12 tornadoes passed through IN and OH damaging buildings, but causing no deaths or series injuries, officials said Thursday.
Since the beginning of August, Dahmer says 18 tornadoes have been confirmed throughout the state.
Firefighters responded to some house fires caused by downed power lines or lightning, but no injuries were immediately reported.
Kokomo Mayor Greg Goodnight says about a dozen people were injured, and no one was killed. Also, the NWS says a tornado rated EF-2 hit Montgomery County, and two different EF-1 tornados hit southwestern Howard County, and Carroll and Howard counties. Utility companies reported at least 18,000 homes and businesses remained without electricity Thursday morning.
Police have restricted access to storm-damage neighborhoods, saying residents must show identification to officers before entering.
One confirmed tornado in Kokomo, Indiana, due north of Indianapolis, destroyed a Starbucks, knocking all its walls to the ground. Joe Donnelly were among officials who talked with residents in a neighborhood where homes were also damaged by a 2013 tornado. Aerial views show Konomo, Indiana, the hardest hit town.
The confirmation of this tornado made it the fifth touch down in central in amid eight preliminary reports of tornadoes on the ground, including one report of an EF3 with wind speeds of 136 miles per hour in Kokomo.
Eight funnel clouds were spotted throughout the afternoon but it’s unclear how many touched down, according to Howard County authorities.
The Indianapolis Colts, meanwhile, are providing tickets and concession vouchers to Saturday’s preseason game with the Philadelphia Eagles to the Kokomo football team, including family members and coaches.
A vehicle rests on another after a tornado struck in Kokomo, Ind., Wednesday. “Then we ran into the bathroom and then the furnace exploded”, Gibbons said.
Indiana Gov. Mike Pence, the Republican vice presidential candidate, returned home Wednesday evening after campaigning in North Carolina.
Weather service crews were still assessing the scope of the storms in Indiana. He says 200 people have checked in to a Red Cross shelter in Kokomo.
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Twenty people were injured in the storms.
