Weekend thunderstorms cause havoc in Indiana

Fast-moving thunderstorms Saturday created at least one tornado and brought heavy winds and torrential rain to central and southern Indiana, leaving streets under water and damaging buildings.\nSurveying the damage after the early afternoon storms, the National Weather Service confirmed that one weak tornado touched down briefly in Cloverdale, about 40 miles southwest of Indianapolis.\nThe tornado was on the ground for roughly three minutes, meteorologists said. It traveled less than one mile and left three houses in its path slightly damaged.\n"We've done the bulk of our field work. What we'll continue to do is work with emergency management to see if we need to go back out tomorrow," said John Ogren, meteorologist in charge of the weather service station that covers most of central Indiana.\nThe weather service issued tornado and flash flood warnings for 26 counties in central Indiana throughout the day. One general flood warning continued until Sunday afternoon in counties including Boone, Hamilton and Randolph.\nThe counties hit heaviest by the rains were Daviess, Martin and Lawrence counties, where four to five inches fell. Montgomery, Boone and Madison counties received three to five inches, Ogren said.\nThe severe weather also forced officials at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway to cancel the first day of qualifications for the Indianapolis 500.\nThe Brazil Times reported strong winds in Clay County had toppled trees and ripped down power lines. There were no reports of injuries.\nHigh winds also destroyed the Maroska family's steel barn outside Greenfield, about 15 miles east of Indianapolis in Hancock County. Pieces of the barn were blown hundreds of yards away into a neighboring field.\n"The sky was gray and the wind was blowing," said Bonnie Maroska. "The sound was like nothing I've ever heard before."\nThe weather service said a low pressure system moving east through the state and colliding with a warm mass of air destabilized the system enough to cause the storms.\nCinergy Corp. reported that 17,000 customers in the state had been affected by the storm. As of Saturday afternoon, 12,000 were still without power, according to spokeswoman Angeline Protogere.\nShe could not estimate when power would return.\n"There are different problems around the state that will take varying lengths of time to restore customers to service," Protogere said. "We'll certainly work until all customers are back in service."\nThe chance of showers and thunderstorms continues Monday, with cooler temperatures expected throughout the state, the weather service said. The extended forecast calls for a chance of showers through Thursday.