Tornadoes and Damaging Winds in Indiana, August 25, 1998

THE DOORS WERE BLOWN OFF A SQUAD CAR. NUMEROUS TREES AND POWER LINES WERE DOWN ACROSS TOWN AND ESPECIALLY ACROSS THE EASTERN THIRD OF THE COUNTY. ONE TREE FELL ONTO A HOME ALONG AUTEN ROAD WHICH CAUSED MODERATE STRUCTURAL DAMAGE TO THE HOME.

THIS WAS THE SAME TORNADO WHICH BEGAN IN NILES EARLIER. DAMAGE WAS EXTENSIVE TO TREES AND POWER LINES FROM THE ELKHART/CASS COUNTY LINE TO THE TOWN OF BRISTOL. SOME HOMES SUFFERED MAINLY MINOR DAMAGE TO SIDING...ROOFS AND GUTTERS. SOME OUTBUILDINGS HOWEVER WERE COMPLETELY DESTROYED.

THIS TORNADO LIKELY FORMED ALONG THE LEADING EDGE OF THE BOW ECHO WHICH PASSED THROUGH BERRIEN AND ST. JOSEPH COUNTIES EARLIER. IT TOUCHED DOWN ON TOP OF THE FORD DEALERSHIP ALONG HIGHWAY 33 TEARING OFF A LARGE PART OF THE ROOF AND ONE WALL. NEXT IT THREW A FORD AEROSTAR VAN INTO A POWER POLE AND PICKED UP AN RV TOSSING IT OVER 50 YARDS AWAY ACROSS THE HIGHWAY INTO A DITCH. NEXT IT CROSSED A STREET AND HIT A MANUFACTURED HOME DEALERSHIP SHIFTING SEVERAL HOMES OFF THEIR FOUNDATIONS, TEARING A LARGE PART OF THE OFFICE ROOF OFF AND FLIPPING A MOVING VAN OVER. IT THEN PROCEEDED DOWN ALONG HIGHWAY 33 FOR APPROXIMATELY ANOTHER 200 YARDS TEARING OFF PARTS OF ROOFS AND AIR CONDITIONING UNITS BEFORE LIFTING.

EXTENSIVE TREE AND POWER LINE DAMAGE OCCURRED ACROSS THE ENTIRE COUNTY. SEVERAL BUILDINGS AND CARS IN DOWNTOWN GOSHEN SUSTAINED MINOR TO MODERATE STRUCTURAL DAMAGE DUE TO LARGE TREES AND LIMBS CRASHING DOWN. BUSINESSES ON THE EAST SIDE OF GOSHEN ALONG HIGHWAY 33 SUSTAINED DAMAGE. THE HOLIDAY INN HAD PART OF ITS ROOF BLOWN OFF. LOCAL BANK HAD ITS STEEL BANK SIGN FLATTENED.