Tornado damages homes near Indianapolis

Associated Press

INDIANAPOLIS

A tornado-producing storm that hit central Indiana on Tuesday damaged several homes in Indianapolis and its outskirts, downed power lines and uprooted trees, authorities said.

It was one of several thunderstorms that sprang up in southwestern Indiana near Terre Haute and moved northeast toward Indianapolis, becoming more severe along the way. No injuries were reported. National Weather Service meteorologist Mike Ryan said the tornado struck in the afternoon in Hendricks County just southwest of Indianapolis and caused extensive damage to at least three homes.

The twister, an EF1 on the 0-to-5 enhanced Fujita scale with an estimated wind speed of 100 mph, tossed a camper onto the roof of a home and destroyed the camper and about half of the roof, according to a storm survey team’s report. Strong winds from the storm also damaged more than 200 cars at an auto auction site, the weather service said.

The winds and heavy rain headed into Indianapolis, damaging houses on the city’s west side and uprooting several trees, including some that fell on cars.