Strong line of storms move through Indiana

Thursday, October 18, 2007

Aside from a little hail and a few downed limbs, Putnam County escaped Thursday evening’s thunderstorms with relatively little damage.

Emergency personnel were called to some downed power lines on a house on North Indiana Street in Roachdale.

And highway crews had to clear away a tree that fell across U.S. 231 about a mile south of U.S. 36.

Putnam County Central Dispatch reported that the northern part of the county was heaviest hit by the rain and wind. A tornado watch was in effect until midnight.

Meanwhile around the state, a strong line of thunderstorms moved through Indiana Thursday, bringing reports of strong winds, hail and possible tornados.

A weather spotter in Kosciusko County reported a possible tornado near Sidney, according to the National Weather Service’s Northern Indiana office. Emergency management officials in Fulton County said several spotters saw funnel clouds in the southern part of the county.

Hail was reported in counties in northern, central and southern Indiana. Officials in Pulaski County said golf-ball sized hail there significantly damaged a car. Several trees were blown down near Bedford in Lawrence County, law enforcement reported.

The weather was part of a series of storms that raced through portions of western Kentucky and southern Indiana Thursday.

Wind speeds reached 80 miles per hour in New Amsterdam, Ind., said Larry Dattilo with the National Weather Service. There were also reports of small hail accompanying the storms.

The storms could dump several inches of rain to the drought-plagued region before clearing out early Friday morning.

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