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Kokomo hammered by tornadoes

By Network Indiana / IPR News | Published on in Uncategorized

Tornadoes and severe thunderstorms battered the state, Wednesday.  27 of Indiana’s 92 counties reported tornado warnings. 22 reports of tornadoes, 2 funnel cloud observations, and 1 wall cloud observation were noted, Wednesday. Most of the damage was in Howard County.

Eight tornadoes have been confirmed by authorities in the Kokomo area.  Dozens of homes were damaged there, along with several local businesses. Hundreds of Kokomo-area residents have been displaced due to storm damage.  Around two hundred spent the night in a storm shelter.  Red Cross Spokesperson Mark Slusher says more than 100 homes were classified as destroyed, in Kokomo.

The National Weather Service says the preliminary tornado rating was an EF-3 in Kokomo, with winds up to 165 miles per hour, and an EF-2 east of Crawfordsville.  The Indiana State Police says around 20 people suffered minor injuries, mostly due to flying debris.

WISH-TV reports the Kokomo Schools have cancelled classes, today.  IU-Kokomo is also closed. One house was also destroyed in Russiaville, near Kokomo, one of the sites of the tragic Palm Sunday tornadoes of 1965.

Governor Mike Pence returned to the Hoosier state Wednesday in the wake of Wednesday’s severe storms.  Pence said the Department of Correction will assist with debris cleanup Thursday morning and other state agencies will provide resources for people in the area.