Twister tangles trees

MISHAWAKA, Ind. -- A tornado touched down briefly in northern Indiana, but most damage caused by fierce thunderstorms was done by straight-line winds, the National Weather Service said Wednesday.\nThe tornado touched down Tuesday near Marian High School in Mishawaka, less than a mile from the eastern edge of South Bend. The funnel cloud ripped a path about 100 yards long by 100 yards wide, meteorologist Aaron Stevens said.\nThere were no reports of injuries.\nThe tornado had winds of 73 to 112 mph, or an F1 on the Fujita scale, which measures the strength of tornadoes from F0 as the weakest to F5 for the strongest.\nMost damage, however, was done by straight-line winds of more than 80 mph, Stevens said.\nCrews were out Wednesday cleaning up the tangle of trees that fell on homes, cars and streets. Schools were scheduled to open Thursday in South Bend, but officials postponed the first day of classes because of concerns about transporting children and doubts about whether all buildings would have power.\nThousands of homes and businesses remained without power. About 23,500 American Electric Power customers were without electricity Wednesday, including 19,000 in St. Joseph County, 3,500 in Elkhart County and 100 customers in Allen County. AEP spokesman Tom Kratt said it will be several days before power is restored everywhere.\nAbout 780 Northern Indiana Public Service Co. customers were still without power, most of them in the Goshen area, spokesman Larry Graham said.