Miami County, Indiana

NWS storm survey found a tornado with a path length near four and one half miles and just less than one quarter mile wide at its greatest width. The storm touched down three and one half miles west southwest of downtown Peru as an F0 and moved northeast at 35 MPH across the northwest corner of the city of Peru. The storm then caused F1 and F2 damage to trees, buildings, and a trailer park where two homes were destroyed and one woman was injured. The storm then intensified to F3 strength as it moved across an industrial park on the north side of Peru, tearing off a roof and knocking down a large communications tower. The storm then quickly began to dissipate as it appeared the rear flank downdraft quickly choked off the circulation in a field near the intersection of Highways U.S. 24 and SR19. Damage estimates were from 5 to 6 million dollars to private property and more than one half million in public property. Miami county was declared a presidential disaster area on June 3rd.

MAUGANS ROAD MOBILE HOME PARK SUSTAINED SEVERE FLOODING. SEVERAL MOBILE HOMES WERE INUNDATED WITH WATER UP TO 4 FEET DEEP. MANY OF THE RESIDENTS SUFFERED FLOODED VEHICLES INCLUDING ONE MAN WHO LOST A VAN, A TRUCK AND A HARLEY DAVIDSON MOTORCYCLE. MANY HOMES IN PERU WERE FLOODED WITH RAW SEWAGE AS STORM SEWERS FLOODED AND BACKED UP INTO HOMES.

The tornado that entered this county exited the Grissom Air Reserve base on the Cass/Miami county line and continued east-southeast, crossing a small area of trees where signs of slight debarking was noted (DI: TH DOD: 5). The tornado continued on along to the 3000 block of County Road 900 South where the most substantial damage occurred to a one and one half story home. Only a few kitchen walls remains of the structure (DI: FR12, DOD 8) with one resident in the kitchen and one in the basement. Two other residences suffered extensive damage but remained intact. The tornado crossed US 31 and continued for a few more miles, causing some additional tree and structure damage including several buildings at a hog farm being destroyed. The tornado eventually dissipated east of Strawpike Road, north of East 1000 South in a field. A local newspaper article reported that a check that was originally located at the destroyed home was found nearly 50 miles away in Wells County in perfect condition. Total damage along the track of the tornado is estimated at $750,000.