Columbus tornado: Massive twister spotted in Indiana amid NWS alert for these counties

A massive tornado was spotted on the ground in Columbus, Indiana on Friday

Published on: May 17, 2025, 05:52:39 IST

By Yash Nitish Bajaj

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A massive tornado was spotted on the ground in Columbus, Indiana on Friday. This comes as the National Weather Service (NWS) issued several tornado warnings for other parts of the state. At 8:07 PM EDT, the NWS noted, a large and violent tornado was confirmed near Columbus, about 9 miles southwest of the city, and moving east at 45 mph.

A large tornado hit Columbus on Friday (Unsplash)

The National Weather Service issued a dire warning, calling it a “particularly dangerous situation” and warning of life-threatening damage.

Counties under warning until 8:45 PM EDT include:

Bartholomew County

Shelby County (southeastern)

Brown County (southeastern)

Decatur County (western)

Jennings County (northwestern)

Cities and Neighborhoods in Path:

Columbus, Taylorsville, Elizabethtown, and Hope

Nashville, Clifford, Hartsville, and Burney

Grand View Lake Neighborhood (specifically mentioned in warning)

Gnaw Bone, Waymansville, Azalia, Newbern, Spurgeons Corner

This tornado is capable of complete destruction, with threats of flying debris, leveled homes, and severe vehicle damage. Interstate 65 between mile markers 59 and 74 is directly impacted.

Radar-Indicated Tornado Near Terre Haute, Sullivan

Just minutes earlier, at 8:14 PM EDT, another severe thunderstorm capable of producing a tornado was spotted 12 miles northeast of Sullivan or 17 miles southeast of Terre Haute, moving east at 55 mph.

Counties affected until 8:45 PM EDT:

Vigo County (southeastern)

Sullivan County (northeastern)

Clay County (southern)

Owen County

Locations Threatened:

Spencer, Hymera, Clay City

Patricksburg, Coalmont, Coal City

Freedom, McCormick’s Creek State Park

This storm is producing golf ball-sized hail and has radar-indicated rotation. Though not yet confirmed on the ground, the threat is severe and rapidly evolving.

Emergency Instructions

The NWS urges all residents in the path of either tornado to:

“TAKE COVER NOW! Move to a basement or interior room away from windows. If outdoors or in a vehicle or mobile home, seek substantial shelter immediately.”

These warnings follow earlier severe weather watches across the state as a potent storm system moves through the Midwest. Residents are advised to monitor local alerts and avoid all non-essential travel.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Yash Nitish Bajaj
Yash Bajaj is a Chief Content Producer with a strong foundation in US coverage, digital strategy, and audience-focused storytelling. As part of the US Desk at Hindustan Times, he covers a wide range of topics - from American politics to sports (NFL, NBA, derbies, MLB and more). Before joining Hindustan Times, Yash served as Deputy News Editor at Times Now, where he oversaw international coverage and led a team of six. In this role, he significantly expanded global traffic through strategic planning, SEO-driven content execution, and meticulous trend tracking across platforms. He is experienced in managing high-pressure breaking-news shifts, coordinating live coverage, and building newsroom systems that improve speed, accuracy, and reach. Prior to Times Now, Yash held a position at Opoyi, where he headed the Sports and US news team. He developed broad editorial strategies, guided reporters across multiple beats, and played a key role in recruiting and training new talent. His responsibilities also extended to social media management and experimenting with innovative content formats. A passionate NFL fan, Yash is a die-hard supporter of the Cincinnati Bengals and has followed Joe Burrow closely since his college days at LSU. Whether breaking down top players' latest performance, analyzing team performances, or tracking roster moves, he brings the same dedication and sharp storytelling to his sports coverage as he does to American politics and breaking news. When he’s not writing, Yash can often be found watching games or debating the latest NFL storylines with fellow fans. Yash holds a Bachelor of Mass Media (Journalism) from HR College, Mumbai University. His interests extend well beyond the newsroom: he is an enthusiastic explorer of AI tools, a movie buff with an ever-growing watchlist, and someone who enjoys unraveling conspiracy theories for fun.Read More

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