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State police: Tornado destroyed at least 80 homes in Kokomo

The Starbucks in Kokomo appears to be flattened following a reported tornado on August 24, 2016.

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He says some people went into the arena to seek shelter until the storm passed.

Emergency officials in Van Wert County near the in state line say they’re fortunate that the tornadoes rolled across mostly rural farmland during the storms Wednesday night.

That increases to 10 the number of tornadoes for the state.

The National Weather Service has added two more tornadoes to the total that hit IN during Wednesday’s outbreak. There was major damage to homes and barns near Linnsburg, along with tree damage.

A more powerful tornado was confirmed in Kokomo.

Survey teams confirmed five tornadoes swept central Indiana’s Carroll, Howard, Marion and Montgomery counties on Wednesday, including an EF3 tornado with winds of up to 152 miles per hour that damaged homes and businesses in Kokomo.

The National Weather Service says four tornadoes touched down in one western OH county during a storm that moved across in and Ohio.

Homeowners and volunteers in Montgomery County spent the day yesterday assessing the damage.

Deane said the Howard County Sheriff’s Department closed all streets in the city and county to everyone except emergency crews until 9 p.m. local time.

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.

Kokomo Mayor Greg Goodnight said Thursday morning that he’s grateful that no one was killed or seriously injured by the storm that struck Wednesday afternoon, damaging numerous houses, apartments and businesses.

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.

Police have restricted access to storm-damage neighborhoods, saying residents must show identification to officers before entering.

Multiple tornadoes were reported across central IN throughout the afternoon.

One was an EF3 with winds up to 165 mph that damaged and destroyed homes and business in the city of Kokomo, about 40 miles north of Indianapolis. The NWS confirmed the preliminary rating according to the tornado’s path and damage indicators at 25th Street and LaSalle Avenue.

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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.

Eight tornadoes touched down across the area.                      WCPO