2 killed during severe weather outbreak that spawned damaging Indianapolis-area tornado
A line of heavy storms that moved through the Midwest unleashed damaging winds gusts, multiple tornadoes, hail and heavy rain on Sunday.
Authorities in Martin County, Indiana, reported that one person was killed and one injured after a tornado damaged structures in the area on June 25.
At least two people died and another three were injured after severe weather rampaged across the central United States on Sunday. 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. Dozens of homes were damaged, and thousands remained without power as of Monday morning.
Martin County Emergency Management employee Monty Wolf confirmed to The New York Times that at least one person had died and another was injured after a tornado struck their home in Martin County on Sunday. Martin County is located roughly 105 miles south of Indianapolis.
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.
Following a storm survey on Monday, the tornado was given a rating of EF2 with an estimated peak wind of 120 mph. The tornado was on the ground for 9.12 miles and reached a maximum width of 565 yards.
The second fatality was reported in Atlanta. George Heery, 55, died after a tree fell on him while he was out walking his dog during a round of severe storms on Sunday evening, Atlanta News First reported. According to the news agency, Heery was one of Atlanta’s most recognized architectural and real estate executives.
At least two others were injured in Jones County, Mississippi, which is southeast of Jackson, after a tree fell on a mobile home, according to the National Weather Service (NWS).
Just outside of Indianapolis in Johnson County, Indiana, a large and violent tornado was spotted destroying several homes.
At around 3:10 p.m. CDT, multiple videos posted on social media showed a tornado on the ground at the intersection of Interstate 69 and Indiana State Route 144 in Johnson County, according to the NWS.
According to WTHR, a fire chief in Whiteland, Indiana, located in Johnson County, said multiple structures were damaged following the tornado. Johnson County Emergency Management said multiple homes were severely damaged or collapsed following the tornado, WTHR also reported.
Video posted on Twitter by Cole Basey showed the walls of structures had caved in, and the roofs of multiple structures were destroyed in Greenwood, Indiana. Several trees were down and scattered across the area of the tornadic storm.
Officials in Bargersville -- also located in Johnson County -- said 75 homes have moderate to severe damage, according to FOX 59 News. The first round of search and rescue from officials is complete, and no injuries have been reported.
A storm survey conducted on Monday determined that this tornado was also an EF2, with estimated peak wind of 115 mph. The tornado stayed on the ground for 5.4 miles and was 200-400 yards wide.
Tornadic storm near homes in Greenwood, Indiana, on June 25, 2023. (@EHop_13 via Storyful)
In southern Indiana, a confirmed tornado was reported in Crane at around 3:33 p.m. CDT by law enforcement. Debris was visible, according to NWS. Multiple trees were down on homes and cars in Crane, according to another NWS report.
The tornado in Crane was given an EF1 rating after a storm survey on Monday. The peak wind was estimated to be 110 mph with a path length of 4.45 miles and a maximum width of 100 yards.
Large hail was also reported across the state on Sunday. Hailstones the size of a baseball reportedly damaged the roof and siding of at least one home in Kirklin, Indiana. Tennis ball-size hail was reported elsewhere in the state including Spencer and Sheridan, Indiana.
As the severe weather moved southeastward into Kentucky, tennis ball-size hail was observed in Webster County -- located in the western part of the state. Large hail was also reported in McLean and Union counties on Sunday evening.
Widespread power outages in south-central US following severe storms
Although all of the reported tornadoes occurred in Indiana, severe weather affected areas from the Midwest to the Gulf Coast on Sunday. According to the SPC, there were over 400 wind reports and nearly 200 hail reports on Sunday.
Heavy rain, gusty winds and hail led to widespread damage across Arkansas, Mississippi, Alabama, Tennessee, Kentucky and Georgia.
As of Monday morning, nearly 500,000 customers were without power from the Midwest to the Gulf Coast, according to PowerOutage.US. The majority of outages were located in Tennessee and Arkansas, which have more than 118,000 combined outages.
In Tennessee, Memphis Light, Gas and Water Division (MLGW) warned customers that “extensive damage” across the city from Sunday’s storm will make power restoration times longer. The company said residents should be prepared for multiple days of power outages.
“Our crews and contract crews will work around the clock, but it’s going to take time,” MLGW wrote in a Tweet.
The Shady Oak’s Trailer Park, which is located roughly 13 miles northeast of Memphis in Millington, Tennessee, was damaged during the storms on Sunday, FOX13 reported. Residents told the news station that trees were toppled over several trailers and blocked several park entrances.
Additionally in Millington, two planes at the Millington airport were overturned, and the terminal sustained damage to the roof from the gusty winds on Sunday, according to the SPC. Photos shared by the Millington Fire Department on Twitter showed the overturned planes and damaged roof.
Sunday was an incredibly active day in terms of severe weather. According to AccuWeather Social Media Producer and Meteorologist Jesse Ferrell, 408 severe thunderstorm warnings were issued on Sunday. That is the most severe thunderstorm warnings issued on a June day since June 22, 2008, when 505 warnings were issued.
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