Tragedy has struck in Indiana after an elderly couple were found dead in their home in the wake of tornadoes hitting their area.
As reported by People, the Chicago National Weather Service said that "several intense supercell thunderstorms" struck northern Illinois as well as northwestern Indiana on Tuesday, March 10.
What are supercell thunderstorms? The NWS describe them as thunderstorms with "persistent and deep" rotations. And they themselves can cause severe tornadoes.
In a statement, the agency described what happened. "One supercell was responsible for [at least 4] tornadoes across Livingston and Kankakee counties in Illinois... and Newton, Jasper, and Starke counties in northwestern Indiana,"
And, tragically, one of these tornadoes took the lives of two elderly people in Newton County, Indiana. In a statement, the Newton County Coroner's Office wrote, "An elderly couple were found deceased after their home in the 8000 block of CR 600 W was struck and destroyed. No names are being released at this time pending positive identification and notification of the next of kin."
Despite this sad news, the Newton County Sherriff's Office has not reported any other significant injuries. But, the departments are still carrying out search and rescue operations.
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The Tornadoes Wreaked Havoc
The tornadoes wreaked havoc throughout their path. They have left over 4,000 customers without power. And they also caused severe hailstorms, with one hailstone being measured at a diameter of over 6 inches. This could well be a state record.
Up until Thursday morning, parts of Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, and Ohio, had been under tornado watch. The NWS described the details of the tornado watch in an X post.
"The risks for tornadoes and severe weather shifts eastward today into the OH Valley/Mid-Atlantic and across the northern Gulf Coast. A few tornadoes will be possible across these areas, along with damaging wind gusts. A few storms producing large hail are also possible within the northern storms."
And there are still severe storms possibly in the making. Kanakee mayor Christ Curtis advised residents that "based on projections... this system could potentially result in 60mph winds and hail."
We hope everyone is safe. God bless to those who lost their lives.
