NWS confirms that an EF1 tornado hit Carmel and an EF2 tornado hit Hendricks county

After a night of destructive winds tearing through parts of Hamilton and Hendricks County, the National Weather Service of Indianapolis confirmed Thursday afternoon that both areas had been hit by tornadoes.

The National Weather Service of Indianapolis survey teams confirmed that Carmel had been hit with an EF1 tornado, which could clock between 86 to 110 mph, while the northeast end of Hendricks County was hit by an EF2 tornado, which could clock between 111 to 135 mph.

Carmel city leaders confirmed at their Thursday afternoon council meeting that no one had been injured during the storm.

This falls in line with information that was reported last night, the NWS radars indicated that a tornado was forming shortly after 9:30 p.m. in Zionsville, which was moving northeast at 65 mph. The city of Carmel alerted residents on social media that “a tornado is on the ground in the area. Take shelter immediately.”

After the tornado tore through the city, photos and videos began to emerge of the damage that occurred throughout the city.

The powerful storm appeared to hit a Midtown industrial corridor just west of the Monon Trail particularly hard in Carmel, according to information released by the city. Several businesses along Third Avenue SW and Carmel Drive had torn-up roofs and shattered glass across parking lots.

Earlier in the night, the Hendricks County tornado severely damaged a warehouse in Brownsburg. The sheared-off wall and partially collapsed roof of the Sur La Table warehouse was one of the most striking images from Wednesday night’s storm damage.

In response to the damage, Carmel Mayor Sue Finkam declared a local state of emergency Thursday at 1 p.m. as the Hamilton County city reckons with ongoing storm damage and recovery operations. The Carmel City Council also voted in an emergency meeting to allocate up to $250,000 from the city’s general fund to pay for damage and cleanup in addition to up to $50,000 to be directed to a parks fund.

Indiana Gov. Mike Braun also announced he would activate the Indiana National Guard to help residents impacted by the severe weather.

“Hoosier Guardsmen always answer the call to serve our state and our nation,” Braun said in the press release. “In times like these, I’m immensely grateful for the soldiers who are on the ground ensuring Hoosier safety.” 

The full extent of the damage in Carmel and across the state has not been determined yet. The Governor’s Office team is still investigating the matter and will update the public as it learns more.

Contact IndyStar reporter Noe Padilla at npadilla@indystar.com, follow him on X @1NoePadilla or on Bluesky @noepadilla.bsky.social.