Minimal damage reported

A few fallen trees and limbs have been the only damage reported in Putnam County as a result of Thursday heavy rains and strong winds.

The Putnam County Highway Dept. had received reports of six trees or limbs blocking county roads as of 9:30 a.m. Friday, and crews were dispatched to clear away the debris, located mostly in the northern part of the county.

In Greencastle, one tree limb was reported fallen on a car along Martinsville Street. Greencastle firefighters were dispatched to a reported fallen tree just after 7 p.m. Thursday, but were radioed to disregard the run after it was determined to be only a fallen branch.

No flooded roads were reported, despite a flash flood warning issued Thursday evening by the National Weather Service at Indianapolis.

"There may have been brief water issues," Dave Tucek of the NWS told the BannerGraphic, "but there was no lingering water problems."

The Greencastle area has already exceeded its average precipitation mark for the month of June. Prior to Thursday's downpour, the actual rainfall was recorded at 4.94 inches for the month. The long-term average is 4.32 inches in June.

Official weather observer Peggy Torr reported rainfall of .75 inches in the Greencastle area from Thursday's storm.

Tucek said the NWS radar showed the county receiving up to 1.5 inches of rainfall in some areas as a result of the storm.

Other parts of the state also received hail in addition to the strong winds and heavy rain, with a lightning strike sending six firefighter trainees to a hospital.

The storms moved across in waves mid-afternoon and again in the evening, causing flash flood warnings and leaving behind widespread reports of damaged homes, downed trees and blown over semitrailers.

The only injuries immediately reported were from the firefighter training session in northwestern Indianapolis. Pike Township Deputy Fire Chief Martin Wilkey said those taking part in the outdoor session saw the storm approaching.

"They were in the process of the wrapping the training up," Wilkey said. "It was apparently the first strike of that storm."

None of the shocked trainees appeared seriously injured, but Wilkey said they all were taken to hospitals for evaluations.

The evening wave of storms had wind gusts of nearly 60 mph as it moved through the Vincennes area, where many trees and power lines were blown down. More than 3 inches of rainfall in the Terre Haute area was reported to the weather service.

A flash flood warning was issued Thursday night for much of western and southwestern Indiana, with police reporting water over state highways in Vigo and Greene counties.

A portion of the Grant County courthouse square in Marion was blocked off after a portion of a building's facade fell in during the afternoon storm, which also blew over six semitrailers in the area about midway between Fort Wayne and Indianapolis. Numerous trees and power lines were knocked down in neighboring Huntington County.

An uprooted sign flew through the air and broke a state trooper's car window in northern Indiana's Miami County, but the trooper was not injured, state police said. Trees also fell on five homes in Cass County, northeast of Lafayette.

In Indianapolis, the site of the U.S. track and field championships was evacuated twice as storms moved through the downtown area. Fans and competitors huddled in nearby parking garages and other structures until the storms passed.