Kokomo Tornadoes Update: Three Destructive Tornadoes Spawn in Indiana; State of Emergency Up; Help for Victims Ready; Video and Photos of Destruction [MAP]
A total of three tornadoes hit Indiana in three different areas. Power is out and state of emergency is declared. Gov. Mike Pence halts campaign and goes home.
A total of three terrifying tornadoes struck Indiana Wednesday afternoon. These twisters damaged a number of homes and structures and injured more than 20 people in Kokomo. A Starbucks in the area was completely destroyed; an exclusive video of the tornado battling the coffee shop was recorded from the inside.
According to Indiana State Police, most of the injuries brought about by the tornadoes were from Kokomo and from the rural Howard County. Authorities said that all the injuries reported at this time were all minor and were results of debris flying through the air. There were no fatalities communicated either.
Power outage and severe damages in Kokomo
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Mayor Greg Goodnight of Kokomo said that there were a lot of damaged homes with no roofs and cut windows. He also said that there is still no power. He estimated that there were around 50 homes damaged in residential Kokomo.
Kokomo is a city of 45,000 residents located 60 miles north of Indianapolis. National Weather Service said that Kokomo was the epicenter of the damage as it experienced severe thunderstorms along with the destructive tornadoes during that time.
Meanwhile, state of emergency was declared in Kokomo and Howard County. Due to this, all roads leading to and from the areas were closed, except for emergency vehicles. This will take effect until 9 p.m. EDT.
Duke Energy has reported 29,000 power outages across the region, while the Indianapolis Power and Light (IPL) has recorded 7,500.
Starbucks destroyed to the ground; other structures affected
Videos of the destruction of a Starbucks in Kokomo immediately went viral. No injuries were reported, and employees of the coffee shop were all safe. Another mobile phone video shot from across the street showed the front wall of the shop shaking and then abruptly collapsing.
A number of houses near Starbucks were also carried away by the strong winds. Customers and employees hid themselves in the restroom of the coffee shop as the storm closed in.
Customers and employees of nearby Krogers also took cover as the storm came. They all waited out the storm at the back of the store where the coolers were located. Other affected structures were a shopping mall and a nursing home located in Howard County.
Aside from this tornado in Kokomo, another one was reported along the west of Crawfordville, while another was found east of Indianapolis.
Gov. Pence pauses campaign
Republican vice-presidential candidate and Indiana Governor Mike Pence paused his campaign and came back home to help. The governor visited emergency operations centers after arriving Wednesday night in Indianapolis.
Help is on the way
Around 200 people are now being assisted by the Salvation Army of Indiana. They are giving food, water, and shelter to victims. Public school officials are busy sending school children home on school buses.
