I got lots of hail and high wind reports Wednesday night while on Facebook & Twitter. The Weather Service followed up with a trip to Noblesville to see if wind damage was caused by a tornado or straight line winds. Their report:
It appeared the wind damage in Noblesville during the evening of Wednesday March 23 was caused by downbursting straight line winds. The majority of the damage was uprooted pine trees and downed Bradford Pear trees and limbs, both of which tend to be damaged by winds of 60 to 80 mph. The trees were laid down in an outward fanning or diverging pattern often found with a downburst wind event. Most trees west of State Road 37 were blown down by a strong south wind. Trees and fences east of State Road 37 were blown down by strong west-southwest winds. This damage occurred at the lead edge of the storm, not the usual location at the rear of the storm where a tornado typically would form. Other damage included stripped shingles and siding from around a dozen homes.
Here’s a picture of a carport blown over house top into trees and power lines
Large branch blown into the side of a house
Here’s a map of where the National Weather Service officially logged damage reports Wednesday Night:
Here’s the tornado warning issued for the rotating storm that caused the damage:
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