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Severe storms batter Ohio, IndianaAt least one person killed
VAN WERT, Ohio (CNN) -- Severe storms struck Indiana and northwest Ohio Sunday afternoon, tearing down buildings, trapping people inside and killing at least one person, authorities said. In Van Wert, about two hours southwest of Toledo, highway patrol dispatcher Trena Bartz said one person was killed when a severe storm hit about 3:30 p.m. "Roads are blocked, lines are down, we have trees down, and people are still trapped in houses," Bartz said. The storm "flattened many, many homes" but it was difficult to assess the damage, she said. East of Van Wert in Putnam County, a sheriff's office dispatcher said several people were killed and injured by the storms but likewise said it was difficult to gather details. Tornadoes were sighted to the north in Putnam and Henry Counties, officials said, but the National Weather Service could not immediately confirm whether tornadoes had struck Ohio. The storms knocked down barns and trees in Defiance County, also in northwest Ohio, but no one was hurt, said Carol Armitage, the county's 911 director. A tornado touched down in Hartford City, Indiana, just across the state line, said Rich Thompson, a lead forecaster for the National Weather Service's Storms Prediction Center. It happened at almost the same time as the Ohio storms began and caused damage to homes, trees and power lines. Weather service forecasters said it was part of a severe weather system moving across the central Midwest.
The tornado took the roof off the Marsh Supermarket and brought down one of its walls around 2:30 p.m. (3:30 p.m. ET), said Officer Kevin Conley of the Hartford City Police Department. Three people, all adults, suffered minor injuries and were taken to Blackford County Hospital with minor injuries, said spokeswoman Diane Wilt. "It's really black out," Wilt said. "It's really dark for this time of the day. We're having lightning." Several mobile home parks were damaged but no one was injured, Conley said. Other damage included fallen trees and debris in the roads. American Electric Power dispatched crews to repair the lines, he said. Hartford City, which has a population of 7,000, is halfway between Indianapolis and Fort Wayne.
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