There’s no evidence a tornado touched down in Starke County Monday night, according to Emergency Management Agency Director Ted Bombagetti. He met yesterday with officials from the National Weather Service after conducting an initial damage assessment.
Bombagetti says a tornado causes rotational damage and scatters debris in all directions. He has yet to see this in Starke County. The damage is currently classified as straight line winds. Bombagetti says they often cause more damage than a tornado because they cover a large area and do not skip like a tornado does. He says the leaves on the trees act like sails and cannot support or let the wind pass through, which is why so many trees fell Monday night. Bombagetti is still assessing damage in the county and will meet again tomorrow with officials from the National Weather Service.
