INDIANAPOLIS — A dangerous storm system moved through central Indiana on Friday night, bringing dangerous wind gusts, hail and tornadoes. At least three people died in Sullivan County and two in Owen County after the storms in Indiana.
First responders found the bodies of a couple who was camping in McCormick's Creek State Park when severe storms ripped through the area overnight Friday.
Brett Kincaid, 53, and Wendy Kincaid, 47, both of Rossville, were found dead at the campsite on Saturday.
On Sunday, the county coroner identified the victims in Sullivan County as Susan Kay Horton, 61, Thomas Randall Horton, 38 and Shane Steven Goodman.
Central Indiana storm damage | April 1, 2023
Storm Blog:
Tuesday, April 4, 2023
4:45 p.m. - The Town of Whiteland is holding a fundraiser to help those hit by the tornado. It will be held Wednesday, April 12 at 12:30 p.m. at the Bailey and Wood parking lot. That's located at 740 Main Street.
There will be free food and music and donations will be collected.
2:56 p.m. - The Johnson County Joint Incident Management Team is suspending volunteer work on Wednesday due to the threat of severe weather.
The family assistance center will remain open.
7:25 a.m. - Whiteland police confirmed Whiteland Road is completely open in both directions as of Tuesday morning.
7 a.m. - Clark-Pleasant Schools will be closed again Tuesday and Wednesday. Whiteland Community High School's principal said his staff will likely be out again both days, volunteering.
School officials said Thursday and Friday will be on modified schedule, which will include the middle school and high school having e-learning and elementary students attending in-person as normal. Clark-Pleasant Early Learning Center will not have classes the remainder of the week.
Dumpsters have been placed around the town and are available 24 hours a day for residents to use.
An ice station will be available to residents beginning Tuesday, April 4 after 8 a.m. in the Whiteland Community High School parking lot, located at 300 E. Main St.
Also, a family resource center will be available beginning Tuesday, April 4 for affected residents to connect with providers on navigating resources available to help them through this time. The family resource center will be located at the Clark-Pleasant Community School Corporation Administration Building at 50 Center St. and will be open from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Residents who need supplies from donated items can pick them up beginning Tuesday, April 4 at Heaven & Earth Church, located at 309 E. Main St., from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Those interested in volunteering to help Whiteland tornado victims or anyone in the community in need of help or resources can contact 317-671-6521 or email whitelandtornadorelief@gmail.com.
Those looking to make financial donations to help the Whiteland tornado victims can do so through the Johnson County Community Foundation.
Monday, April 3, 2023
6 p.m. - Rich Nye has an update on storm damage in Morgan County.
3:35 p.m. - Clark-Pleasant schools will remain closed Tuesday and Wednesday after the storm damage.
It will have a modified schedule Thursday and Friday with the middle and high school having e-learning. Elementary students will attend in person as normal.
Clark-Pleasant Early Learning Center will not have classes for the remainder of the week.
12:15 p.m. - Emergency Disaster Services teams with the Salvation Army deployed to Sullivan, Johnson and Lake counties have been focused on immediate needs, such as food, hydration, and emotional and spiritual care.
Click here to find out how to help families affected by the storms.
"While our teams were careful to keep a safe distance from electric crews while they were working, they did end up serving work crews who saw them and approached our teams seeking hydration and snacks," said Maj. Mike McKee, divisional director of Emergency Disaster Services. "Our firm policy is to never distract, interfere with, or approach work crews doing their often dangerous jobs. We serve everyone who recognizes us and comes seeking refreshment or a listening ear and emotional support."
In Johnson County, the Salvation Army's mobile kitchen helped 700 people and provided 400 meals, 605 drinks and 1,200 snacks.
Donations of shelf-stable food, household items and toiletries can be dropped off at the Red Shield Center, located at 325 Market Plaza in Greenwood, from 10:30 a.m. until 3:30 p.m. all week. Clothing items are not needed, but cash donations are accepted.
7:40 a.m - Duke Energy expects to have most of its 1,300 Indiana customers who were left without power by the storms to be back online by 6 p.m. Monday, according to its latest outage information posted this morning.
Clinton County power is expected to be restored by 8 p.m.
AES is reporting 30 customer outages with less than 10 in Grant County.
7:10 a.m. - All eastbound lanes of State Road 252 between I-69 and State Road 135 in Morgan County are back open.
5:45 a.m. - Whiteland continues cleaning up following Friday's EF-2 tornado blew through.
The Clark-Pleasant schools are not in session Monday, but staff from the district will gather at the high school and be bussed into the neighborhoods to help with cleanup in two shifts Monday morning and afternoon.
Sunday, April 2, 2023
9:58 p.m. - Meteorologist Angela Buchman checked with National Weather Service offices and says we are now up to 17 tornadoes across the state.
- Sullivan: 1
- Johnson: 2
- Clinton: 1
- Howard: 3
- Morgan: 1
- Owen: 1
- Benton: 2
- Jasper: 1
- Cass: 1
- Allen: 2
- White: 2
7:10 p.m. - The City of Sullivan has announced a curfew will be in effect from 7 p.m. Sunday until 7 a.m. Monday.
7:00 p.m. - Sullivan Mayor Clint Lamb held a briefing Sunday evening.
Mayor Lamb said more than $20,000 in financial contributions have been received, in addition to goods and supplies.
Donation needs include:
Donations that are no longer being sought include food and clothing.
Lamb said volunteer manpower was needed for beginning at 8 a.m. Monday at Sullivan Civic Center.
6:00 p.m. - A 13News update on Friday's storms and the ongoing recovery effort.
4:23 p.m. - The New Whiteland Fire Department said they are no longer accepting donations because they have run out of room. They said they were grateful for the generosity.
4:00 p.m. - Sullivan officials provided an update Sunday afternoon:
3:06 p.m. - Sullivan Mayor Clint Lamb and Sullivan County Sheriff Jason Bobbitt provided the following information Sunday afternoon:
Local agencies are collecting donations for the victims of the tornado outbreak.
Items needed include non-perishable food, Gatorade and other sports drinks, feminine products, baby wipes, storage bins, cleaning supplies, paper products (toilet paper, tissues, paper plates) and plastic cutlery.
Clothing donations are NOT currently being sought.
Donations can be made at Sullivan Civic Center, 344 N Main Street, Sullivan, IN, United States, Indiana
Commodity Distribution: Sullivan Civic Center, 344 N Main Street, Sullivan, IN, United States, Indiana
If you wish to volunteer or provide resources, Sullivan County officials ask that you do not self deploy, but rather coordinate with Sullivan County Emergency Operations Center at 812-268-6257, EXT 1
Currently, there a shelter open at Abundant Grace, American Red Cross, 761 IN 154 Sullivan, IN
The American Red Cross, The Salvation Army, and other nonprofit organizations will continue to offer food at the site.
1:30 p.m. - The Clark-Pleasant Community School Corporation canceled classes Monday due to significant storm damage in the Whiteland area.
"Some of our buildings still have power issues, utility poles are down and some roads are blocked due to storm cleanup which creates significant traffic problems, especially with our buses," the district said in a statement. "All of these issues impact our ability to have school."
The district said it would reassess the situation on Monday and provide an update then.
11:05 a.m. - Duke Energy reports it has restored power to more than 61,000 customers impacted by Friday night's storms and high winds Saturday.
As of 8:30 a.m. Sunday, around 9,200 customers remained without power.
The company provided the following estimates for power restoration:
- Lafayette and Wabash: Sunday by noon
- Clinton, Kokomo, Terre Haute, Bedford, Bloomington, Columbus, Madison, Seymour, Shelbyville and Vincennes: Sunday by midnight
- Franklin, Martinsville and Sullivan: Monday by 6 p.m.
7:40 a.m. - The Grant County Sheriff's Office shared aerial video of the damage in the town of Swayzee and urged everyone traveling in the county to use caution on the roads in the county.
Saturday, April 1, 2023
11 p.m. - Franklin College canceled classes on Monday due to facilities being without power. The college said it didn't get any serious damage from Friday's storm, however, they remain without power. Information from Duke Energy suggests the outage will continue into Sunday and persistent high winds have complicated Duke's efforts to restore power.
6:35 p.m. - AES reports 1,756 customers without power after the storms moved across the state. AES says the strong winds, rain and tornados caused severe damage. Crews have been busy all day - and will continue working safely overnight - to restore power to our customers.
5 p.m. - IN State Fire Marshal Steve Jones and IDHS Director of Emergency Management Mary Moran joined Gov. Holcomb as he visited Sullivan County to assess the overnight storm damage.
Hoosiers impacted by the storms are asked to contact Indiana 211 to report damages and help with a damage assessment. Residents can call 211 or visit in211.org.
3:30 p.m. - Gov. Eric Holcomb signed an executive order declaring a disaster emergency for Sullivan and Johnson counties in the wake of last night's deadly storms.
2:32 p.m. - More storm damage in Sullivan County
1:25 p.m. - Hoosiers impacted by the severe storms that occurred overnight on March 31-April 1, 2023, are asked to contact Indiana 211 to report damages and help with a damage assessment.
To help establish a comprehensive assessment of damages, residents can call 211 or visit the Indiana 211 website.
Agricultural damage should be reported to the Purdue Extension.
1:05 p.m. - Johnson County Public Library’s Clark Pleasant Branch Library in Whiteland suffered heavy damage in Friday night’s storm. An HVAC unit was torn off the roof. About 10 windows were broken along with other damage to the exterior of the building.
Water got inside but it appears books and other materials stayed dry.
The branch remains closed until further notice. The Franklin Branch was without electricity Saturday, but was open with limited services.
12:40 p.m. - A truck driver had to be rescued on I-69 Saturday morning after strong winds toppled it over.
12:08 p.m. - Indiana leaders are giving an update following a tornado that left three dead in Sullivan County.
Clint Lamb, the mayor of Sullivan, said at least 200 homes were affected by the storm across the county. However, officials did not have an exact number of people who were displaced.
"We are finishing up our find and search with our professional teams. We, so to speak, unleashed the volunteers and I'm glad we did. Working on search and rescue right now. We are, right now, in the response phase and we will be moving to a long term recovery here over the next few days," Lamb said.
Lamb reiterated that city staff is working on trying to find transportation for people who may have lost it. The Salvation Army is at First Christian Church taking care of first responders, and the shelter at Abundant Grace near the Walmart is still open in Sullivan.
Indiana State police cautioned people who do not live in the area to stay away. Families wanting to get in contact with loved ones in the area can contact city officials at 110 North Main Street in Sullivan.
Eight to 12 people are believed to have gone to Sullivan County Community Hospital on their own with injuries, according to ISP.
Governor Holcomb is expected to arrive in Sullivan at 2:30 p.m.
11:12 a.m. - There are communication lines down in the roadway on 500 W between 600 N and 700 N in Hancock County. Officials say utilities have been contacted, but say the area should be avoided.
11:05 a.m. - As communities across Indiana continue dealing with power outages, here are some tips to keep your refrigerated food safe!
10:42 a.m. A wind advisory has been upgraded to a High Wind Warning throughout parts of central Indiana.
9:39 a.m. - WTHR and WALV lost our over-the-air signal. Techicians are working to find the issue and restore our signal.
9:30 a.m - Since midnight, Indianapolis DPW crews have been working to clear downed trees and address traffic signal outages caused by the storm.
With dozens of reports of downed trees, residents should expect crews to need time to clear all the debris. Crews will remain activated around the clock through Monday at 7 p.m.
If you have downed trees blocking streets, or notice a signal outage, call the Mayor’s Action Center at 317-327-4622 and selecting option 2 to report directly to DPW. Reports can also be made through the RequestIndy web portal or mobile app.
9:17 a.m. - Strong winds are picking up again as crews work on cleanup in Whiteland.
8:56 a.m. - Duke Energy reports 25,240 customers without power. AES has 2,506 without power.
8:48 a.m. - Devon Foster shared drone images of the devastation left behind in Whiteland.
8:20 a.m. - A look at the path the tornado took in Sullivan.
8:13 a.m. - Whiteland PD is thanking all those who want to help, but says they need to ensure all power lines are secure and gas lines capped first.
Police are saying it would definitely help to get some community dumpsters setup in the area.
8:07 a.m. - The strong winds are moving back in as central Indiana is under a Wind Advisory until 6 p.m.
7:44 a.m. - More images of the damage in Whiteland.
7:40 a.m. - A look at the damage in Sullivan, Indiana where three people lost their lives in Friday's storms.
7:24 a.m. - Thankfully there are no reports of injuries in Whiteland after the damaging storms.
7:17 a.m. - Matthew Fultz has a first look at storm damage in Whiteland this morning.
7:15 a.m. - Duke Energy reports 29,299 outages. AES has 2,413 as of 7 a.m.
7:10 a.m. - Some residents were missing in the city of Sullivan Saturday morning, according to Emergency Management Director Jim Pirtle in an email to The Associated Press. Three deaths are reported in Sullivan County by Indiana State Police.
7 a.m. - Many areas are waking up to damage and power outages in central Indiana this morning, after last night's storms.
6:50 a.m. - The Sullivan County Sheriff's Office said tornado damage stretches several miles – from west of Sullivan in the rural New Lebanon area extending eastward through Sullivan.
In the city of Sullivan, the path of destruction follows nearly a straight line – parallel with Silver Street.
Some homes are completely leveled and three deaths are reported by ISP in Sullivan County.
Sullivan City Hall and area churches have been opened as safe shelters.
6:43 a.m. - Crews in Martinsville are working to restore power and cleanup damage from the storms.
6:40 a.m. - Whiteland authorities say there were no reports of injuries in an initial search of the area. If you do not live in Whiteland, police are advising for you to stay out of the area.
6:35 a.m. - Emergency crews tell 13News that homes are leveled in the Sullivan area.
6:30 a.m. - An emergency shelter has been established at the new Sullivan City Hall building, located at 110 N. Main St., just north of the courthouse square. The sheriff's department says residents needing food, water or shelter should report to that location.
6:20 a.m. - Power crews are working on downed lines in Whiteland.
6:15 a.m. - If you live in Marion County and see a downed tree blocking a road or on a home, IMPD's non-emergency line is 317-327-3811.
If the rain leads to ponding in your yard, the Department of Public Works email is dpwengineering@indy.gov.
You can also call the Mayor's Action Center at 317-327-4622.
6:05 a.m. - Duke Energy is reporting 35,245 outages in Indiana. AES reports 2,400 outages in Marion County.
5:55 a.m. - A Wind Advisory is in effect until 6 p.m. tonight for the area.
5:15 a.m. - Sullivan County officials have declared a State of Emergency for areas affected by the tornado. Any curiosity seekers are subject to arrest.
There is still concern about downed power lines and gas leaks.
Those wanting to help can report to the EMA headquarters at 60 W. Harris Street in Sullivan.
Sgt. Matt Ames with the Indiana State Police tells 13News there are at least three deaths in Sullivan County.
5:05 a.m. - US-31 south is cutoff at the Tracy Road intersection in New Whiteland.
5 a.m. - The Grant County Sheriff's Office is asking the public to avoid the area of Swayzee while clean-up and assessments are made.
4:30 a.m. - Storm damage in Frankfort:
2 a.m. - Sheriff Duane Burgess said multiple agencies are working to check on residences and buildings in the Whiteland area.
"The town has received a lot of storm damage," Burgess said, adding "We are asking people to stay out of WHITELAND, do not come to look at the storm damage. There are live power lines that are down in yards and roadways and is extremely dangerous. There is a shelter set up at the Whiteland High school for those in need. We do not know the extent of damage as we will need to wait until daylight so we can survey the area."
He continued his statement by saying, "There are other parts of Johnson County that has also received storm damage and we are tending to those areas. Power companies are working very hard to restore power, allow them to do their jobs. We ask the public to be patient.
Please stay away from the WHITELAND area if you do not live there. Please avoid the roads around WHITELAND as well."
1:30 a.m. - Whiteland police are opening Whiteland High School as a shelter for anyone that needs to use the restroom and get out of the weather.
12:28 a.m. - A house in Gas City has reportedly fallen on a homeowner, according to Center Township Fire Rescue.
Swayzee has several homes on the ground.
12:27 a.m. - AES Indiana now reporting 5,165 customers in Indianapolis without power as storms race across Indiana.
12:22 a.m. - Duke Energy is reporting more than 40,000 customers without power.
12:22 a.m. - Power outage will be an issue tonight through Saturday night as winds will gust over 50 mph, outside of any storms.
12:21 a.m. - The strongest line of storms will be in Ohio by 12:35 a.m.
12:13 a.m. - The storm at the center of Rush County's tornado warning is moving east at 60 mph.
12:10 a.m. - The National Weather Service in Indianapolis has issued a Tornado Warning for northeastern Rush County until 12:45 a.m.
12:08 a.m. - AES Indiana reporting 2,100 customers in Indianapolis without power as storms race across Indiana.
12:07 a.m. - From Whiteland Police: Preliminary reports indicating the southern part of town took a direct hit. Power and communication are limited. If you need help and can not get out via voice, please utilize the text to 911.
12:05 a.m. - Johnson County emergency responders report significant damage in Whiteland, east of U.S. 31.
Stephanie Sichting, the director of the Johnson County Emergency Management Agency, said homes have collapsed, leaving people trapped. First responders can't get to some of those homes yet because of downed powerlines.
12:01 a.m. - All tornado warnings for central Indiana have expired. Severe thunderstorms remain.
GALLERY: Central Indiana storm damage | March 31, 2023
12:00 a.m. - A dangerous storm was seen north of Shelbyville
Friday, March 31, 2023
11:57 p.m. - A tornado warning is in effect for Shelby County until 12 a.m.
A Severe Thunderstorm Warning for Brown, Decatur, Hancock, Henry, Johnson, Marion, Rush, Shelby, Blackford and Grant counties is in effect until 12:15 AM Saturday morning.
A Severe Thunderstorm Warning for Hamilton, Hancock, Johnson, Madison & Marion counties is in effect until 12:00 AM Saturday morning.
11:45 p.m. - Severe thunderstorm warning continues for Indianapolis, Fishers, and Anderson until midnight. The NWS warns the storm will contain wind gusts of up to 70 mph.
11:44 p.m. - Heavy rain falling outside WTHR studios.
11:41 p.m. - A confirmed tornado was located near Franklin, or 13 miles west of Shelbyville, moving northeast at 55 mph.
11:35 p.m. - Severe Thunderstorm Warning including Indianapolis, Carmel, Fishers until 12 a.m. The NWS warns this storm will contain wind gusts of up to 70 mph.
11:31 p.m. - The Tornado Warning for Boone County has been canceled. A Severe Thunderstorm Warning remains in effect.
11:26 p.m. - Tornado sirens are reportedly going off in parts of northern Marion County and on the northwest side of Indianapolis.
11:25 p.m. - Tornado warnings issued for Wabash, Grant, Huntington, Wells and Miami counties.
11:22 p.m. - WTHR's Jennie Runevitch tweeted a video of Tornado sirens in Johnson County
11:21 p.m. - Power outages:
AES: 21 customers without power
Duke: 10,186 customers without power
11:20 p.m. - Tornado warning issued for Shelby, southeastern Morgan and Johnson counties until midnight.
11:05 p.m. - Confirmed tornado warnings for areas north of Bloomington near Ellettsville, Martinsville, Paragon and Morgantown. The cell is headed toward Martinsville in less than 10 minutes.
11:02 p.m. - Tornado warnings are in effect for northern Monroe, southern Morgan, northwestern Brown and southeastern Owen counties until 11:30 p.m.
The National Weather Service reports a severe thunderstorm capable of producing a tornado was located over Spencer, or 14 miles northwest of Bloomington, moving northeast at 80 mph.
This dangerous storm will be near Paragon around 11:10 PM EDT. Martinsville and Mahalasville around 1115 PM EDT. Morgantown around 1120 PM EDT.
11:01 p.m. - Tornado Warning including Martinsville IN, Spencer IN and Morgantown IN until 11:30 PM EDT
10:59 p.m. - Tornado warning issued for areas including Frankfort, Russiaville, Michigantown until 11:15 p.m.
10:58 p.m. - IU Kokomo is warning people to "SEEK SHELTER NOW"
10:52 p.m. - Tornado warning for Clay, Greene and Sullivan counties expires. Owen county remains under warning.
10:49 p.m. - Viewers are reporting tornado sirens going off in Crawfordsville. If you are in an area with a tornado warning, go to your safe space NOW.
10:49 p.m. - A tornado touchdown is likely just south of Colfax.
10:43 p.m. - Winds toppled several semis just outside of Remington, north of Lafayette on I-65.
10:40 p.m. - Tornado warnings are in effect for Boone, Clinton, Sullivan, Clay, Owen and Greene counties until 11:15 p.m.
At 10:37 p.m. a tornado-producing storm was located seven miles northwest of Linton, or 24 miles south of Terre Haute, moving east at 70 mph.
Severe thunderstorm warnings are in effect for
Boone, Clinton, Hamilton, Howard, Montgomery, Tippecanoe and Tipton counties.
10:32 p.m. - Power Outages:
- AES: 3 outages
- Duke Energy: 2,717 customers without power, the majority of those outages are in the western part of the state where a line of storms is moving in
10:29 p.m. - Severe thunderstorm warnings are in effect for:
- Montgomery and Putnam counties until 11 p.m.
- Cass and White counties until 11:15 p.m.
- Cass, Miami, Fountain, Montgomery, Warren and Tippecanoe counties until 10:45 p.m.
10:26 p.m. - A likely violent tornado is approaching Sullivan. Take cover and go to your safe space now.
10:10 p.m. - Tornado warning for Clay and Greene counties until 11 p.m. This includes Sullivan, Jasonville and Linton. This cell has the greatest chance of holding its own and developing into a serious tornado.
10:07 p.m. - INDOT is reporting a crash with entrapment involving a semi-truck and unknown injuries on I-65 in White County. The crash is at the 198-mile marker, which the NWS said is in the path of this tornadic thunderstorm.
10:02 p.m. - Kelly Greene circled an area of rotation in White County.
9:54 p.m. - A tornado warning has been issued for northern White County and southeastern Pulaski County until 10:30 p.m.
At 9:52 p.m. a severe thunderstorm capable of producing a tornado was located near Wolcott, or near Remington, moving northeast at 50 mph.
9:48 p.m. -
9:40 p.m. - A tornado warning has been issued for White County until 10:15 p.m.
9:29 p.m. - A tornado warning was issued for Benton County in northwestern Indiana until 10 p.m.
The National Weather Service said a severe thunderstorm capable of producing a tornado was located near Hoopeston, or 7 miles south of Milford, moving northeast at 45 mph.
The NWS said there was radar-indicated rotation in the area. Flying debris will be dangerous to those caught without shelter. Mobile homes will be damaged or destroyed. Damage to roofs, windows, and vehicles will occur. Tree damage is likely. Locations impacted include Fowler and Earl Park.
9:05 p.m. - A line of storms with a history of tornadoes is ready to cross the Indiana border in Benton County.
8 p.m. - A tornado watch is in effect for central Indiana until 3 a.m.
The watch includes most of Indiana and parts of neighboring states. At the moment, only the easternmost counties in Indiana are not under the watch.
Storm timeline:
A line of storms will move across central Indiana from 9 p.m. to 1 a.m. Damaging winds and tornadoes are possible.
Know who to contact for help
If you live in Marion County and see a downed tree blocking a road or on a home, IMPD's non-emergency line is 317-327-3811.
If the rain leads to ponding in your yard, the Department of Public Works email is dpwengineering@indy.gov.
You can also call the Mayor's Action Center at 317-327-4622.
Weekend forecast
The storm threat ends, but strong winds will persist on Saturday with gusts near 50 mph. It will be a much colder day with temperatures in the 40s and a few showers are possible too.
Sunday will be the pick of the weekend for outdoor activities with sunshine and highs near 60.