Allen County tornadoes confirmed by National Weather Service
A National Weather Service storm survey team that looked at storm damage, videos and photos of a storm in Allen County said two tornadoes had touched down.
The NWS said the team that reviewed damage during an April 1 visit found that a 120-mph tornado touched down for over 7.86 miles was 400 yards wide. The tornado touched down near New Haven at 11:36 p.m. March 31 and ended near Harlan at 11:43 p.m.
“Many homes and farms had minor to major damage,” according to the NWS. “Extensive tree and power line damage occurred as well especially along and south of (S.R.) 37 where the most significant damage was observed.”
A second tornado, with a peak wind speed of 75 mph, traveled for a minute over 1.14 miles at 11:44 p.m. from near Harlan northeast near the town of Georgetown.
“A brief, weak EF-0 tornado formed in response to a microburst that occurred off to the south,” according to the NWS. “Minor damage was observed to a few homes and barn buildings along Antwerp (Road) and Dean Road. Trees in the vicinity were snapped and uprooted. Debris was observed in adjacent fields.”
Tornadoes were confirmed in Royal Center and Benton County to White County. A microburst went east of Hicksville, Ohio, while a tornado was determined to have caused damage in Paulding County, Ohio. The brief EF0 tornado developed south of C.R. 424 and tracked rapidly north, crossing the Maumee River. “Several homes with minor roof and siding damage,” according to the NWS. “Numerous trees uprooted and snapped along this path.”
The Fort Wayne International Airport recorded a maximum wind speed of 68 mph at 11:30 p.m. March 31 during the overnight storm.
The storm has killed three in Indiana, according to the Indiana Department of Homeland Security. Gov. Eric Holcomb has signed executive orders declaring a disaster emergency in Sullivan and Johnson counties.
In the Fort Wayne area, more than 13,000 Indiana Michigan Power customers at the height of the storm were without power. As of 4:30 p.m. April 1, power had been restored to nearly 70% of I&M customers.
The National Weather Service received reports of numerous reports of large trees and power lines downed along with a report of vehicles blown off the road in Harlan at 11:40 p.m. March 31. Around the same time, five semis were reportedly blown over, with damage seen at a commercial structure, a tree down on a home on Doty Road and vehicles blown into a yard.
Just after midnight April 1, an emergency manager reported a semi overturned in Van Wert, Ohio.

Tina Unverzagt
Debris is seen in a tree along S.R. 37.