Destructive tornado hits central Indiana

Before the first tornado struck Wednesday, thousands of people received telephone calls or text messages.

Almost 24,000 people were without power in Howard County on Wednesday evening, electricity company Duke Energy said.

The person filming directs the camera to a window, which shows the Starbucks being obliterated by the strong winds as a tornado sweeps through.

(21Alive) -The National Weather Service (NWS) is surveying damage after Wednesday night’s storm system.

Minor injuries were reported in Howard County, which apparently bore the brunt of the storms, according to John Erickson, spokesman for the state Homeland Security Department.

“It sucks at the moment, our houses and our material things can be replaced”, she said.

At least two tornadoes struck cities in central in on Wednesday, tearing the roof off apartme. The worst damage appeared to be at a mobile home park in Defiance, and roads around the site were blocked late Wednesday.

Trees in the city fell, Kokomo Mayor Greg Goodnight said, and 24,000 people were without electrical power. He was expected to tour Kokomo on Thursday. He attributes the relatively small number of injuries reported by 8 p.m.to residents’ taking the approaching storms seriously.

Pence and U.S. Sen.

“So there were some of the people who had their homes damaged two and a half years ago”.

Eight funnel clouds were spotted, but it’s not clear how many touched down.

“We are leaving NC and getting back to Indiana”.

Daly was driving through Kokomo, Indiana, when he passed a Starbucks that had been grounded by a tornado earlier on in the day. Some homes are ruined while others were largely untouched.

Indiana Governor Mike Pence, the Republican vice presidential nominee, tweeted: “Keeping Hoosiers and first responders in our prayers as risky weather moves through Indiana”.

Even customers inside a Kokomo Starbucks leveled when the twister hit were able to walk away.

“Absolute devastation”, Joe Gardner, surveying the scene in his Cedar Crest neighborhood in Kokomo, told NBC station WTHR of Indianapolis. Howard County Commissioner Paul Wyman said the declaration will likely remain in effect until tomorrow morning for the hardest hit areas.

More than 22,000 customers were without power north of Indianapolis, Duke Energy reported. Police were restricting access to storm-damaged neighborhoods, saying residents must show identification to gain access.

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — No serious injuries were reported after multiple tornadoes touched down Wednesday in central in, tearing the roofs off apartment buildings, sending air conditioners falling onto parked cars and cutting power to thousands of people.

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. Kokomo is about 50 miles north of Indianapolis.

One tornado was reported west of Crawfordville, said meteorologist Dave Tucek.

The Indiana Red Cross regional headquarters in Indianapolis has a team of employees and volunteers working at an operations center. He also says their schools didn’t suffer any damage.

But there have not been any injuries there, Carlson said.

Weather service crews were still assessing the scope of the storms in Indiana.

Residents in central in were getting their first glimpses of crumpled buildings, scattered debris, and destroyed neighborhoods, a day after several tornaodes touched down on Wednesday.

Almost 200 people crowded into the Kokomo Events Center on Wednesday night.

“It’s a miracle and it’s a testament to good common sense”, Pence said.

Governor Mike Pence will view the damage in Howard and Montgomery counties Thursday.

Indiana University Kokomo canceled all Wednesday evening events on campus because of the severe weather. One that hit Kokomo has been determined to be an EF3 with 165 miles per hour winds.