Storms and possible tornadoes hit Kentucky and Indiana
Residents of Kentucky and Indiana were recovering on Thursday after a severe storm tore through the region a day earlier, part of a severe weather phenomenon that raged through the country’s midsection this week.
About 19,000 Louisville-area households were left without power Wednesday after the storm passed, snapping utility poles and throwing debris on the roads. Jefferson County Public Schools canceled classes Thursday, citing widespread power outages and a number of blocked roads.
The National Weather Service was investigating whether a a tornado touched down in Jefferson County, Kentucky after several reports of wind damage. Tornado warnings and severe thunderstorm warnings with wind gusts of up to 80 mph were issued for much of the Louisville area.
Power was restored to most homes Thursday morning with a few thousand still without power, according to Louisville Gas & Electric.
The National Weather Service was also investigating a possible tornado near Bedford, a small town in southern Indiana, after strong winds knocked down trees and blew out windows Wednesday night. Much of Bedford was left without power Wednesday, county officials said.
“It could have been a lot worse based on the (social media) videos I’ve seen,” said Valerie Lucauer, director of Lawrence County Emergency Management.
The spell of severe weather, which left 23 people injured when a tornado hit central Texas on Tuesday, is not over yet. Another round of severe thunderstorms was possible Thursday from New England to northern Florida, according to AccuWeather and localNational WeatherA servicestations.
AccuWeather predicts the risk of severe weather on Thursday will be significantly lower than that of a storm system that tore through the southern and central United States this week, producing hail and softball-sized tornadoes . But some areas can still see up to pea- or marble-sized hail, strong wind gusts, torrential downpours and localized power outages on Thursday.
Storms can also cause flight delays at major air travel hubs, including New York City, philadelphia cream, washington d.c. and Atlanta.
Contributor: Lucas Aulbach, Louisville Courier Journal; Indianapolis star Jake Allen and John Tufts
Contact News Now Reporter Christine Fernando at [email protected] or follow her on Twitter at @christinetfern.
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