Bursten said those injured included a 5-month-old child who suffered a laceration in Montgomery County.
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Tornado warnings were issued before 3 p.m.as a storm moved through Boone and Montgomery counties, including Crawfordsville, a city of some 16,000 residents about 50 miles (80 km) northwest of Indianapolis. He said he would remain in the state “as long as we need to be to make sure that Hoosiers who have impacted by these storms have what they support they need”.
Pence returned to his home state Wednesday evening. The Republican vice presidential candidate was campaigning in North Carolina when the twisters touched down in Indiana.
In a tweet, Pence says he is returning to IN and asks, “Please keep Hoosiers IN your prayers”.
But fortunately, there have not been any reported injuries at the complex, he said.
The mayor was speaking at a press conference shortly after 7 p.m. Wednesday.
Governor and Republican vice presidential nominee Mike Pence, who abruptly left the campaign trail in North Carolina to return to in, said eight funnel clouds were confirmed and three touched down during what he called a “very tough day of weather”. Goodnight said utility crews from elsewhere in the state were traveling to the city to help restore power and clean up storm debris.
Government workers in the City County Building downtown were alerted Wednesday afternoon to take shelter in the stairwells, before receiving the all clear to return to work about 20 minutes later. All roads are closed except for emergency vehicles performing essential functions until 9 p.m. Wednesday.
Officials have declared a joint state of emergency for central Indiana’s Howard County and its county seat of Kokomo.
The tornado ripped through the nearby Park Place Apartments in Kokomo, causing heavy damage to the buildings.
The National Weather Service confirmed one tornado that struck the city was an EF3, packing up to 165 miles per hour winds.
He says “it’s a madhouse”, but that there haven’t been any reported injuries.
Indiana University Kokomo has canceled classes for Thursday due to loss of power.
Forecasters say those six were among at least eight tornadoes that touched down in central in on Wednesday.
At least two tornadoes struck central IN on Wednesday, downing trees and destroying a Starbucks. Emergency Management Agency spokesman Jay Carey said damage was reported in Defiance, Henry, Paulding and Van Wert counties and that one person was reportedly hurt.
At 3:15 p.m. local time, the National Weather Service urged everyone in the area to take shelter immediately, calling the situation “particularly risky”.
Thousands of people were left without electricity in the city of Kokomo in central in on Wednesday (local time).
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The tornado blew roofs off of homes and buildings, knocked over trees and even flattened a Starbucks in Kokomo’s Markland Mall, ABC affiliate WRTV in Indianapolis reported.
