Tornado Flattens a Starbucks in Kokomo, Indiana

By Kris Maher 

Residents in central Indiana took shelter Wednesday evening after a tornado leveled a Starbucks in Kokomo without injuring anyone, and there were reports of damage caused by other possible tornadoes that authorities had yet to confirm.

The National Weather Service issued a tornado watch Wednesday evening for a large swath of central Indiana, including the Indianapolis area, where there were reports that a second tornado had touched down. Damage was also reported in Montgomery County to the northwest of Indianapolis. The high winds left downed trees and overturned cars in their wake.

Officials said Wednesday evening that they had not yet received any reports of injuries or fatalities from the severe weather.

One tornado flattened a Starbucks in Kokomo, about 60 miles north of Indianapolis, but no one inside the building was injured. "We did receive word that they took shelter appropriately and rode out the storm OK, even though there was significant damage to the building," said John Erickson, a spokesman for the Indiana Department of Homeland Security.

Linda Mills, a Starbucks spokeswoman, said the company was relieved that all employees and customers at the location were safe. She said the company would continue to work with local authorities to support the community in Kokomo.

Mr. Erickson said tornado warnings were issued before the tornado touched down, giving many people enough time to seek shelter. "We have not had any injury or fatality reports yet. We certainly hope we don't see any," he said.

Julie Jargon contributed to this article.

Write to Kris Maher at [e-mail]

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

August 24, 2016 18:16 ET (22:16 GMT)

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