Tornadoes leave a trail of destruction in Indiana

Several tornadoes struck various parts of Indiana and Tennessee, leading to one fatality and considerable property damage on Sunday, June 25, 2023.

The tornado that struck a home in a rural part of Martin County, Indiana on Sunday evening, claimed the life of one person and injured another. Officials pronounced the man inside the home dead at the scene and the woman was taken to the hospital due to the injuries she sustained.

According to WXIN-TV, the tornado was part of a wider storm system that also spawned a large and violent tornado in Johnson County, south of Indianapolis, causing damage to at least 75 homes. The tornado was on the ground for about 15 minutes, resulting in severe property damage, with numerous trees uprooted due to the high winds.

Power lines were brought down throughout the 4.8 km (3 miles) area affected by the tornado, resulting in widespread power outages. Residents affected by the damage could potentially be without electricity for several days.

Large tornado hits Martin County, Indiana. Authorities report one fatality and one injury as structures in the area suffer significant damage. pic.twitter.com/v3StDMRxhR

— AccuWeather (@accuweather) June 26, 2023

According to the National Weather Service’s Storm Prediction Center, there were more than 400 severe weather reports on Sunday, and the bulk of those were wind or hail damage. 

Survey teams from the National Weather Service office in Indianapolis were scheduled to assess damage in Martin, Johnson, Daviess, and Monroe counties on Monday, June 26.

In the aftermath of the storm, severe power outages were reported across various states, with around 120 000 homes and businesses left without power in Memphis, Tennessee.

In southeastern Michigan, Detroit-based DTE Energy reported Monday that approximately 75 700 customers were without power. Meanwhile, Jackson, Michigan-based Consumers Energy also reported power outages in southwestern Michigan.

Additionally, Indiana Michigan Power reported that about 4 000 customers in southwestern Michigan and northern Indiana lost electricity due to the storms, with more than 2 000 outages reported in Benton Harbor, Michigan.

References:

¹ Indiana tornado kills 1 as severe weather causes damage and power outages across multiple states – AP – June 26, 2023

² Indiana tornado kills 1, creates extensive damage – AccuWeather – June 26, 2023

Featured image credit: Bargersville Fire Department (stillshot)

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