JACKSON COUNTY — A series of severe overnight storms unleashed multiple tornadoes across south-central Indiana late Wednesday and early Thursday, damaging homes, knocking out power, and leaving state roads blocked by debris.
The National Weather Service deployed survey crews to the region on Thursday to assess the path and intensity of the destruction.
The most acute damage was reported in northwestern Jackson County, where a radar-confirmed tornado touched down at 12:09 a.m. Thursday. According to Toby Ortman, director of the Jackson County Emergency Management Agency, the twister hit an area roughly nine miles northwest of Brownstown and 13 miles west of Seymour, moving eastward at a speed of 45 mph.
Emergency officials and local residents reported that several homes were damaged or destroyed in the Freetown area. At least two homes along State Road 135 north of Freetown sustained damage, as did another residence in the 8100 block of North County Road 490W.
The severe weather initially forced emergency crews to pause fieldwork. Ortman noted that he was unable to immediately reach the impacted path overnight to fully assess the destruction due to the sheer volume of downed trees and tangled power lines blocking the local grid.
While State Road 135 was successfully reopened by Thursday morning, a section of State Road 58 at County Road 810N remained closed as utility crews worked to clear debris and downed lines.
The storm also triggered widespread power outages. By Thursday morning, the Jackson County REMC reported that over 160 customers just north of Freetown remained without electricity, with many experiencing outages lasting more than seven hours.
No injuries have been immediately reported. Local emergency management agencies are asking residents to submit damage reports as regional cleanup efforts get underway.
