Hoosiers start cleaning up after another round of storms, tornadoes
Apr 03, 2025
Severe storm coverage – 7 AM
INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — For the second time in five days, Hoosiers are tasked with cleaning up the damage left behind by severe thunderstorms and tornadoes.
More than 100,000 Hoosiers were without power at 7 a.m. Thursday, and multiple school districts — inclu
ding Indianapolis Public Schools — have shifted to e-learning.
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Police across Indianapolis are reporting downed power lines and trees in the roadway, while many intersections do not have working traffic signals due to power outages. High water is washing out roads in several low-lying areas around the Indy Metro.
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Here’s a look at some of the areas hardest hit by severe weather:
Brownsburg
Cleanup will take a while in Brownsburg, where a tornado tore apart a large portion of the Sur Le Table warehouse at 901 E. Northfield Drive. Local firefighters spent several hours trying to rescue a woman who was trapped under the rubble.
“We were able to pull that individual out…after getting a couple of rotators out here to help lift that debris, as well as the Indianapolis Fire Department Special Rescue Team to get in there,” Kam Holding, public information officer for the Avon Fire Department, told News 8.
Two other people were also found inside the damaged warehouse. One was taken to the hospital, firefighters say.
The damage to the warehouse is extensive and the structure is not safe, says News 8’s Melea VanOstrand.
“A large portion of the warehouse is collapsed, with fire alarms still going off,” VanOstrand said at around 6 a.m. Thursday. “Steel is dangling from the top and you can hear it creaking. The Avon Fire Department says the storms destroyed multiple parts of the warehouse.”
Carmel
A tornado tore through the Carmel area on Wednesday night, tearing down trees and pulling down powerlines. One business at Third Street and Carmel Drive had a wall ripped off, according to I-Team 8’s Tim Spears.
“A manufacturing business had the front of the building just ripped off its face. This is Rikon International and you can see straight into the offices, the snacks behind the desks, the art on the wall, but then right in front of it, what used to be the wall along with shattered glass just out along the ground,” Spears said at the scene.
Columbus
In Columbus, hundreds of people waited out the storms at St. Bartholomew Catholic Church.
News 8’s Cat Sandoval was there and talked to some of the people taking shelter.
“Our daughter goes to school here, and we do not have a basement in our home, just a crawl space. And we heard they’re opening up the church for people to come for safety…and it’s been a blessing,” Angie Engledow said.
Surveying the storm
Teams from the National Weather Service will be out across Indiana on Thursday to survey the storm damage and determine if it was caused by straight-line winds or tornadoes.
More rain is in the forecast for the next few days and flooding will be a concern. Tara Hastings has the details in her Thursday morning weather blog.
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