Power Outage in Portage, IN

Several trees and power lines were blown down northeast of Valparaiso along Vale Park Rd. Wind magnitude and time were estimated based on radar.

Seven power poles were broken along S County Road 500 W northeast of Hebron. Additionally, a gas line marker pole was bent in the vicinity of the downed power poles. Wind magnitude and time were estimated based on radar.

Power lines were blown down.

Trees and power lines were blown down near Stage Coach Road.

A path of straight line wind damage began in east central Lake County and continued into Porter County ending near north State Road 149. Tree damage occurred along this path with all of the trees laying in an east or east northeast direction. Tree damage occurred in the Camelot Estates neighborhood. Numerous power lines were blown down in Portage. A small outbuilding was heavily damaged near the Robbinhurst Golf Club. Wind speeds were estimated to 75 mph.

Numerous trees and power lines were blown down in northern Porter County.

Power lines and power poles were blown down near Jellystone Park.

Numerous branches off of trees in Chesterton. In South Haven several medium size tree branches and power lines downed.

Powerlines were blown down in Portage.

A tree fell down onto a car and power line on Old Porter Road.

A tree and a power line were blown onto a house.

On the east side of Valparaiso, numerous power poles were snapped and trees were blown down. County Road 600N was closed between 300E and 400E due to several high tension poles and power lines down across the road.

Trees and powerlines were blown down.

Several trees were blown down on top of power lines and phone lines at Indiana Dunes State Park.

Several small tree limbs were blown down. Powerlines were also blown down.

Trees and power lines were blown down.

A tornado touched down in southern Chesterton east of 11th Street and southwest of South Park Drive. The tornado quickly intensified as it moved to the northeast and caused the partial collapse of a gymnasium roof at the Chesterton Junior High School. A wind gust to 105 mph was measured by an anemometer near the school. This damage along with numerous trees that were either uprooted or sheared off was caused by tornado winds reaching 110 mph. The tornado was rated EF1 at this point with a path width of 40 yards. The tornado continued to track to the northeast across the New York Central railroad tracks toward Grant Avenue where the roof of a warehouse had been peeled off and thrown about 15 yards behind the building to the north. The tornado continued to the northeast where an apartment building on Brown Avenue lost its entire roof. This damage was caused by tornado winds reaching 120 mph. The tornado damage was rated EF2 through this area with a path width of 60 yards. In the city of Chesterton, 211 structures sustained damage; 8 were completely destroyed; 54 suffered major damage, such as trees falling through roofs. The remaining 149 structures sustained damage such as missing shingles or damaged gutters. Multiple vehicles were damaged by falling debris from buildings or trees. Numerous power lines were blown down along with utility poles blown down or snapped. This EF2 damage continued northeast where an entire field of healthy old hardwood tree trunks were snapped off or uprooted. The tornado then started to slightly weaken as it approached the Interstate 94 eastbound exit/westbound entrance ramps at Indiana Highway 49. A home south of the interstate had a garage roof blown off with still numerous trees uprooted or sheared off. Tornado wind speeds here were estimated at 100 mph with an EF1 rating. Similar tree damage was noted along a path that continued to go to the northeast across Highway 49 and toward Highway 20 near Hadenfelt Road where some aluminum roofing material of a storage facility had been peeled off. Tornado wind speeds were estimated at 95 mph here and was rated EF1 with a path width of 30 yards. The tornado continued to move through a heavily forested area in the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore, eventually crossing Highway 12. Radar imagery and an aerial survey suggests that the tornado dissipated north of Highway 12.

Several large trees were blown down. A roof was blown off a picnic shelter in Woodland Park. Tree limbs and power lines were also blown down. Three horses escaped after a tree fell onto a fence. One of the horses was struck and killed by a tractor-trailer on US 20.

Widespread wind damage from near Lakes of The Four Seasons along the Lake/Porter County line, through central Porter County, ending southeast of Kouts, near the Porter LaPorte County line. Numerous trees were uprooted and blown over. At least 50 houses across the county were damaged. The most intense damage was near Kouts where large hardwood trees were uprooted or snapped. Twenty three large metal truss towers for high tension power lines were blown down along a four mile path east of Kouts. Winds with the most intense damage were estimated at 100 to 120 mph.

Widespread wind damage from near Lakes of The Four Seasons along the Lake/Porter County line, through central Porter County, ending southeast of Kouts, near the Porter LaPorte County line. Numerous trees were uprooted and blown over. At least 50 houses across the county were damaged. The most intense damage was near Kouts where large hardwood trees were uprooted or snapped. Twenty three large metal truss towers for high tension power lines were blown down along a four mile path east of Kouts. Winds with the most intense damage were estimated at 100 to 120 mph.

A large tree fell onto a pickup truck and a van, crushing both. A large tree was uprooted on Charlotte Street, falling onto a house. Tree limbs and power lines were also blown down.

Trees, tree limbs and power lines were blown down across parts of northwest Porter County.

Tree limbs and power lines were knocked down.

Strong northerly winds gusted as high as 60 mph along the Porter County shoreline of Lake Michigan. Trees and power lines were blown down throughout Ogden Dunes.

Powerful severe thunderstorms developed over Lake Michigan during the afternoon of August 23rd. These thunderstorms moved south into northwest Indiana and produced wind speeds as high as 106 mph, which was measured at a coastal observation site in Michigan City. Trees, tree limbs and power lines were blown down across much of northeast and eastern Porter County. In Pines, a tree fell onto a trailer, which was destroyed. Numerous houses suffered damage to roofs and siding from falling trees. Several cars were damaged by falling trees and tree limbs. In Valparaiso, trees were blown down and windows were blown out of buildings on Washington Street, Randall Street, and Fairlane Drive.

A line of thunderstorms developed in extreme eastern Illinois during the early afternoon of June 5th and move east into northwest Indiana. This line of thunderstorms produced winds in excess of 60 mph which blew down trees, tree limbs and power lines in several locations.

A severe thunderstorm moved across Porter county during the early afternoon hours of August 26th. A tree fell onto a pickup truck on Michigan Avenue in Valparaiso. Several trees were also blown down near Morgan and Beech streets. Power lines and tree limbs were blown down across other parts of the county.

Trees and power lines were blown down in Portage in Porter county, 4 miles north of Wheeler.

Severe Thunderstorms, which originally developed in central Illinois during early afternoon, continued moving eastward through far northwest Indiana. Porter county received widespread tree damage, downed power lines, and property damage to several homes. During the storm an individual at the Indiana Dunes State Park had to be rushed to a nearby hospital after being injured when a tree fell. Flash flooding occurred in the community of South Haven, and at one point over half of the county was without electrical power. Throughout the county two homes were damaged by falling trees and three homes caught fire when struck by lightning.