8 tornadoes carved through Indiana, thousands without power

INDIANAPOLIS — At least eight tornadoes ripped through Indiana on Wednesday, the National Weather Service reported, causing minor injuries but damaging several homes.

More than 18,000 residents were without power Thursday morning, more than 17,000 of those were in Kokomo, which weathered the worst of the storm damage.

"We are very blessed to tell you we don't have any serious injuries," Howard County Sheriff Steve Rogers said during a news conference Thursday morning.

Rogers said just 10 to 15 people suffered minor injuries after storms that downed trees, power lines and buildings in Howard County.

Hendricks, Boone, Hamilton, Tipton and Howard counties all saw tornadoes Wednesday night, the National Weather Service said.

Six of the tornadoes were produced by a single line of "supercell" storm clouds. Two more thunderstorms produced separate tornadoes in Avon and to the northwest of Lafayette.

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The storms damaged homes and two apartment complexes in Kokomo, forcing about 220 people into temporary shelters overnight, Kokomo Mayor Greg Goodnight said at the news conference.

"We're all very grateful that there were no fatalities and no serious injuries," said Goodnight.

Indiana Gov. Mike Pence, who left the campaign trail Wednesday, said Thursday it was a miracle that no one was killed or badly hurt in Kokomo.

Pence spoke Thursday after touring a neighborhood and businesses hit by Wednesday’s tornado. The National Weather Service said it was an EF-3 tornado, packing winds of up to 165 mph.

Pence also visited a Red Cross shelter where some 200 people spent the night.

He credited quick thinking and early warnings of the approaching storm for the lack of serious injuries.

A Kokomo resident described what happened.

“Multiple lightning. The sky got black. Wind came through like a train, and everything went black,” said Bob Esposito, a Kokomo resident.

An EF-1 tornado, which can reach wind speeds of 111 to 135 mph, also touched down just east of Crawfordsville in Montgomery County. Tornado watches or warnings were issued in more than 30 counties in Indiana, spanning from Owen and Putnam counties in the west and across the state line and into parts of eastern Ohio. They extended as far north as Huntington and as far south as Bloomington and Columbus.

"We are very blessed to tell you we don't have any serious injuries," said Howard County Sheriff Steve Rogers during a news conference in Kokomo on Thursday.

Rogers said just 10 to 15 people suffered minor injuries in Howard County.

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In Indianapolis on Wednesday, numerous storm warnings blasted through the day, urging Hoosiers to seek shelter after multiple funnel clouds were reported in the city and surrounding area. Tornado warnings remained in effect for much of the state until 9 p.m.

The Indianapolis Department of Homeland Security tweeted that police confirmed at least three funnel clouds in the city.

Funnel clouds were spotted near the Indiana State Fairgrounds and near 38th Street and Georgetown Road, as well as on the city’s east side in the 200 block of South Shortridge Road, according to the Department of Homeland Security.

A tornado was reportedly on the ground on the city’s east side, near 21st Street and Ritter Avenue, but that remained unconfirmed by Wednesday evening.

"It was just twirling," said Grover Edwards, 49, who works at a cellphone shop at the intersection of 21st and Ritter. "It didn't destroy nothing, but just twirled and kind of flew over."

Heavy rain followed the funnel cloud sighting. Edwards took shelter inside the shop until things calmed down. Across the street, Yasmin Betancourt and Michael Christen of Hoosier Lottery were installing ticket machines at a new gas station when they noticed “the clouds feeding into themselves.”

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“It was the weirdest thing I’ve ever seen,” Betancourt said. “(The clouds) were moving upward into this massive rotation.”

When Christen and Betancourt stepped outside to capture the scene on their cellphones, they saw three young children hunkered down at a bus stop.

“We felt responsible (for them),” Betancourt said. “So we went out there and took care of those three kids.”

They brought the children inside the gas station and waited for the storm to pass.

The severe storms also meant a longer day for thousands of Indianapolis Public Schools students. IPS officials delayed dismissing elementary schools until 5:45 p.m. because of the tornado warning, schools spokeswoman Kristin Cutler said.

At Center for Inquiry School 27, fourth-grader Jada Collins was the last student to leave.

“It was kind of scary because the lights kept switching on and off,” said Collins, 10. “I know about tornadoes, that they are dangerous, but I felt safe because we were all together.”

U.S. Sen. Joe Donnelly, D-Ind., said Kokomo is a resilient, tough community and that all the residents he spoke with vowed to rebuild.

The damage followed a similar path to the tornadoes that struck Kokomo in November 2013, Goodnight said.

"Our hearts are with the people who have experienced this twice," Goodnight said.

Contributing: Amy Bartner, Madeline Buckley, Michael Anthony Adams, Holly V. Hays, John Tuohy, Chelsea Schneider and Vic Ryckaert of The Indianapolis Star, and The Associated Press.