At about 2:15 p.m. Friday winds as strong as 70 mph, according to the National Weather Service, began ripping through downtown Warsaw bringing down trees, limbs and power lines. A Kosciusko County Sheriff’s Department deputy also reported seeing a rotation in the skies over the City-County Athletic Complex, but the National Weather Service is not confirming any tornadoes.

Even before the rain started falling, Warsaw’s downtown area lost power. Stoplights were out at most intersections and businesses all along the SR 15 corridor up to and including stores as far north as CR 350 North went dark.

An area in the 600 blocks of East Fort Wayne and East Main Streets were hit hard with large downed limbs. Several vehicles and homes were damaged and most residents in that area were without power.

Further east in Winona Lake, the residential area along Administration Boulevard was also targeted by falling trees. Several homes there sustained heavy damages.

At 2:35 p.m., as the storm continued its northeastern trek, North Webster Fire Department was called to 811 E. Walls, where a power pole snapped and caught fire.

Mail-Journal intern Michele Sokol was en route to North Webster on SR 13 and reported golf ball size hail on SR 13 between Syracuse and North Webster. Milford Fire Department was also called to several transformer and grass fires.

Despite the severity of the storm, the National Weather Service reported no more than a half-inch of rainfall and the high winds sustained for approximately 7 minutes.