At least two people were killed after a tornado ripped through parts of Indiana overnight, leaving devastation across communities and prompting emergency weather advisories across the state.
Daybreak in Lake Village Wednesday revealed extensive damage after a tornado hit the community late Tuesday night. Several homes and businesses were destroyed, according to local officials.
Laurie Postma, public information officer for the Lake Township Fire Department, confirmed during a Wednesday morning news conference that at least two people died in the storm.
Tornado outbreaks in Illinois and Indiana
The National Weather Service said the storm system was particularly intense. According to the National Weather Service in Chicago, a powerful supercell storm produced a “family of tornadoes” — at least four — across several counties Tuesday night.
Tornadoes were reported in Livingston County and Kankakee County, as well as Newton County, Jasper County and Starke County in northwest Indiana.
Weather agency survey teams are expected to assess the damage from the storm on Wednesday to determine the exact path and strength of the tornadoes.
Massive hail and widespread weather threats
The storms also produced exceptionally large hail of 3 to 5 inches in diameter. One 6-inch hailstorm recorded in Kankakee could be considered a new state record, the weather service said.
More than 2 million people were at moderate risk of severe weather, while nearly 22 million people were in a slightly lower risk zone that included Chicago, Fort Worth and Oklahoma City.
The governor of Illinois urges caution
JB Pritzker, the governor of Illinois, said he was informed of the damage and expressed support for the affected communities.
“Our thoughts are with all Illinoisans affected by the severe weather – we will be here to help them recover,” he wrote on social media.
Tornado watch released for central Indiana
Meanwhile, the National Weather Service Indianapolis has issued a Tornado Watch 41, warning that severe weather could continue for large parts of the state through midday Wednesday.
The watch covers 18 counties in central, eastern and southern Indiana, including areas around Indianapolis, Bloomington, Columbus, Anderson and Muncie.
Officials warned residents to stay alert for rapidly changing weather conditions as storm systems move through the region.
