Storms spawn twisters, flip patrol car
Storyhighlights
• Officer following a funnel cloud when winds toss car over fence
• Seven people hurt after an apparent tornado in Tennessee
• Illinois twister flips minivan, damages several homes
A small twister in Illinois damaged a nursing home's roof, flipped over a minivan and damaged several homes.
LAPORTE, Indiana (AP) -- Storms with high winds rushed across three states Thursday, spawning tornadoes in Tennessee and Illinois and tossing a patrol car over a 3-foot-high fence in Indiana. At least seven people were injured.
The sheriff's detective was following a funnel cloud when the winds tossed her car over the fence and dropped it upside down on a field, LaPorte County Sheriff Mike Mollenhauer said.
Detective Shayna Mireles suffered a cut to her head and some bumps and bruises, he said.
The sheriff said he couldn't believe the cruiser was lifted over the fence. He said, "I don't think I would have believed it unless I'd seen it."
The storm cell was among several thunderstorms that moved across the state. The National Weather Service issued a tornado watch for much of northern Indiana, but damage was not reported in any other areas.
In New Tazewell, Tennessee, at least seven people were injured by debris after an apparent tornado touched down. The tornado destroyed three to four mobile homes, two houses and downed trees and power lines.
A tornado touched down about 10 miles west of Crossville, Tennessee, damaging trees, buildings and peeling off the roof of an unoccupied trailer, authorities said. No injuries were reported there.
In Plainfield, Illinois, a small tornado tore off parts of a nursing home's roof, flipped over a minivan and damaged several homes but no injuries were reported, authorities said.
In southwest Ohio's rural Brown County, Donna Young's front porch was blown about 50 feet from her house, she said.
"It was a nice, railed, country covered porch," she said. The storm "came from the south and just picked the porch to take out."
The National Weather Service issued tornado warnings for several counties in southern Ohio.
Copyright 2007 The Associated Press.
• Officer following a funnel cloud when winds toss car over fence
• Seven people hurt after an apparent tornado in Tennessee
• Illinois twister flips minivan, damages several homes
A small twister in Illinois damaged a nursing home's roof, flipped over a minivan and damaged several homes.
LAPORTE, Indiana (AP) -- Storms with high winds rushed across three states Thursday, spawning tornadoes in Tennessee and Illinois and tossing a patrol car over a 3-foot-high fence in Indiana. At least seven people were injured.
The sheriff's detective was following a funnel cloud when the winds tossed her car over the fence and dropped it upside down on a field, LaPorte County Sheriff Mike Mollenhauer said.
Detective Shayna Mireles suffered a cut to her head and some bumps and bruises, he said.
The sheriff said he couldn't believe the cruiser was lifted over the fence. He said, "I don't think I would have believed it unless I'd seen it."
The storm cell was among several thunderstorms that moved across the state. The National Weather Service issued a tornado watch for much of northern Indiana, but damage was not reported in any other areas.
In New Tazewell, Tennessee, at least seven people were injured by debris after an apparent tornado touched down. The tornado destroyed three to four mobile homes, two houses and downed trees and power lines.
A tornado touched down about 10 miles west of Crossville, Tennessee, damaging trees, buildings and peeling off the roof of an unoccupied trailer, authorities said. No injuries were reported there.
In Plainfield, Illinois, a small tornado tore off parts of a nursing home's roof, flipped over a minivan and damaged several homes but no injuries were reported, authorities said.
In southwest Ohio's rural Brown County, Donna Young's front porch was blown about 50 feet from her house, she said.
"It was a nice, railed, country covered porch," she said. The storm "came from the south and just picked the porch to take out."
The National Weather Service issued tornado warnings for several counties in southern Ohio.
Copyright 2007 The Associated Press.
Every cloud has a silver lining
