Three tornadoes touched down Wednesday afternoon in IN, one causing damage in Kokomo, according to the National Weather Service.
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ABC7 Meteorologist Larry Mowry said the tornadoes touched down in Kokomo; Arcana, which is 40 miles east of Kokomo; Crawfordsville, which is 40 miles west of Indianapolis; and Geneva, about 39 miles south of Fort Wayne.
Aerial footage of Kokomo broadcast by WTHR showed a five-block residential area where at least 10 homes were largely obliterated and several others heavily damaged by the storm.
Tornadoes tore through parts of IN on Wednesday, injuring more than a dozen people and causing widespread damage – including to a Starbucks that was leveled while a man recorded with his cellphone, according to WXIN.
Kokomo Mayor Greg Goodnight said the storm caused “pretty severe property damage” and downed many trees.
He says the complex has 16 buildings, and “probably eight of them don’t have a roof”.
Republican vice presidential candidate Mike Pence is turning his attention from campaigning to his home state of IN after tornadoes struck the state.
In a tweet, Pence says he is returning to IN and asks, “Please keep Hoosiers IN your prayers”.
UPDATE: The National Weather Service has extended tornado warnings for Central Indiana until 4:45 p.m.
City and county officials declared a state emergency across the city and county, banning all traffic until 9 p.m.to leave room for medical and law enforcement personnel. Miraculously, no injuries have been reported.
The winds also blew off rooftops, damaged homes and knocked tree limbs to the ground, WCPO sister station WRTV reported.
Storms rolling through Indianapolis left more than 11,000 Indianapolis Power & Light customers in the dark as of 5 p.m. Wednesday.
Governor Mike Pence was campaigning in North Carolina when the tornado touched down, and he headed back to the Hoosier state.
The National Weather Service said it had not received any immediate reports of injuries.
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) Tornadoes that touched down in central in tore roofs off apartment buildings, sent air conditioners falling onto parked cars and cut power to thousands of people, but left no one seriously injured.
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A possible tornado touchdown was reported at 21st and Ritter on the Indianapolis near east side.
