Tornado warnings captured in May 2004 at the Indianapolis 500. | Courtesy Michael Portaro and www.mp2photography.com
Midwest Region
Indianapolis, Indiana
Indianapolis, Indiana
Most people don't think of Indianapolis as a tornado prone city. However, Indianapolis takes one of the top spots when it comes to the Midwest and, in particular, Hoosier Alley. Indianapolis ranked eighth on Tornado Expert Dr. Greg Forbes most tornado prone cities list. Looking at its stats, there's no doubt why.
Indianapolis Tornado Fast Facts
1.7 tornadoes each year per 1,000 square miles
Peak tornado month is May, with 11 tornadoes reported in that month since 1950
Marion County (home to Indianapolis) has had 41 tornadoes since 1950
No tornado deaths reported since 1950
Indianapolis is home to the Indy Racing League's premiere event, the Indianapolis 500. The race is held on Memorial Day weekend, right in the heart of tornado season. On May 30, 2004 an F2 tornado affected the race.
"They had just cut the Indy 500 short by 20 laps and as soon as the checkered flag fell they posted the tornado warning and told the crowd... all 200,000 plus... they had to evacuate," says Michael Portaro who photographed and attended the race. "We were staying in a motorhome across the street and opted to stay under the concrete grandstands (for safety) for a few hours."
Though the tornado missed the Indianapolis Motor Speedway by six miles, post-racing events were moved indoors because of the severe threat. The tornado did, however, cause extensive damage across southern and eastern Marion County south of the downtown area. 26 people were injured and 700 structures were damaged by the storm.
Next: Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
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