July 4th Wells County Tornado

Huntington and Wells County Tornado

July 4, 2003

During the late afternoon of Friday July 4, 2003 a tornado affected areas of extreme eastern Huntington county and west central Wells county. On Saturday July 5 a damage assessment team from the National Weather Service Forecast office in Northern Indiana conducted a survey of possible tornado damage. The survey team confirmed that the damage was caused by a tornado, with a preliminary intensity rating of F1. An F1 tornado produces winds of 73 to 112 mph. An 8.5 mile long damage path was found, beginning in extreme eastern Huntington county about 2 miles southeast of Plum Tree. The path then extended southeast into Wells county, where the tornado lifted about 3 miles south of Liberty Center. Several residences and barns sustained extensive damage from the tornado, and numerous trees were uprooted or snapped. Two high voltage power towers were destroyed. No deaths or injuries have been reported with this storm.