Severe storms swept across the central United States on Thursday evening, causing tornadoes.
From Texas to Ohio, the National Weather Service (NWS) had placed seven states under Level 2 (out of 5) tornado alerts as of Friday morning, and parts of Oklahoma, Arkansas and Missouri below level 3.45 million people were potentially in the path of these unleashed winds.
The storm system accompanied by a tornado swept through eastern Indiana and western Ohio Thursday evening.
The Storm Prediction Center has five tornadoes reported in Ohio, two in Indiana and one in Texas.
The report, given in the evening by the local police, showed three deaths in a mobile home development in Indiana, but the superintendent of the state police held a press conference during the night to explain that the information was incorrect and that he was not aware of any deaths due to tornadoes at this time.
Only injuries were reported and treated.
In Ohio, where no casualties were reported, there were more than 20 injured.
LATEST: While the Indiana State Police said earlier there had been at least three fatalities from the suspected tornado, at a recent press conference, the State Police superintendent said the information was incorrect and no fatalities had been confirmed.
https://t.co/K8GISbJjuc
— ABC News (@ABC) March 15, 2024
More than 10,000 homes and businesses in Indiana and nearly 37,000 in Ohio were without power Thursday evening according to PowerOutage.us.
There are only 28,300 in Ohio and some 6,000 in Utah, but more than 16,000 in Colorado, more than 12,000 in Kentucky, and 9,000 in Arkansas.
In Winchester, Indiana, State Police Superintendent Doug Carter described the storm as a "terrible, terrible event" with many reports of significant injuries.
No deaths had been reported as of Thursday evening, he said at a news conference.
Temporary shelters have been set up for residents, according to agency spokesperson Sergeant Scott Keegan on X.
Temporary shelters have been established at Winchester Community High School and Willard Elementary
—Sgt.
Scott Keegan (@ISPPendleton) March 15, 2024
Buildings in Winchester were destroyed, and authorities set up rescue groups to scour damaged buildings for any signs of missing people.
“Every one of these facilities is going to have to be checked, especially the ones that have completely collapsed,” Carter said.
A few kilometers from Winchester, nearly half of the buildings in the town of Selma were damaged following a violent storm that could have caused a tornado.
A “very dangerous tornado” hit the state of Ohio.
In some Ohio counties, radar signals showed debris being thrown up to 2.8 miles (4.5 km) away, according to the National Weather Service in Wilmington, Ohio.
The Ohio NWS had issued a local tornado warning of "considerable threat."
“It’s pure devastation,” said the president of the City of Indian Lakes Chamber of Commerce.
“I have never seen anything like this in my entire life,” testified Amber Fagan on the ABC television channel, “in the city center”, the situation is really “very bad”.
Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear said on social media that a tornado passed through Gallatin and Trimble counties without causing any injuries.
Today a tornado moved through Gallatin and Trimble – and possibly Carroll – counties.
There are minor injuries but no fatalities reported.
There is significant structural damage, and it's our job to wrap our arms around our fellow Kentuckians to support them in this time of need.
pic.twitter.com/3xvsXJ2woo
— Governor Andy Beshear (@GovAndyBeshear) March 14, 2024
Tornadoes, a weather phenomenon that is as impressive as it is difficult to predict, are relatively common in the United States, particularly in the central and southern parts of the country.
Almost a year ago, devastating tornadoes crossed Mississippi and killed at least 25 people.