STATEWIDE — Two tornados touchdown during Wednesday’s storms, confirmed by the National Weather Service in Indianapolis.
It was an EF-1 in Rush County and an EF-0 in Madison County. Severe thunderstorms spread across much of central and southern Indiana. Neither tornado was very powerful, says Sam Lashley, Warning Coordination Meteorologist at the National Weather Service office in Indianapolis.
“It [Rush County tornado] was not on the ground for the entire length of the path. It was up and down, and only about, at it’s widest path, about 150 to 175 yards wide,” says Lashley.
Lashley says most of the damage was roof and siding damage to buildings and homes, including a volunteer fire department in Rush and an elementary school in Madison. A few trees were thrown around and some windows were broken, but no one was hurt.
“Fortunately with these EF-0 and EF-1 tornados, in Indiana, we haven’t had a tornado fatality from an EF-0 or EF-1 tornado since the 1970s or 80s. These [tornados] tend to do your outside structural damage. They may break some windows, so injuries are usually from broken glass or people, after the event, stepping on nails or broken glass when they’re barefoot.”
Lashley says it’s always important to respect the power of any storm and always take shelter.
The forecast heats up next week, no pun intended. Lashley says you’ll have highs in the upper 90s by Tuesday and Wednesday, with heat indices in the one-hundred-teens.
“So it’s possible we might be looking at some heat advisories next week,” says Lashley, “people need to prepare for that. Be ready to drink lots of water, and be thinking about cooling shelters and getting indoors for next week.”
