Violent storms lash Midwest

 Residents in several communities in central Indiana were urged to evacuate Tuesday after overnight thunderstorms dumped up to 5 inches of rain, causing widespread flash flooding that stranded motorists and closed roads.

The storms were part of a wave moving across the Midwest as a low-pressure system slowly moved east. The storms that went through Indiana weakened as they reached Ohio and Pennsylvania Tuesday, while another belt moved into Iowa, Illinois and Indiana, according to the National Weather Service.

In southern Wisconsin, authorities conducted door-to-door searches after a warning siren failed before a tornado touched down in Eagle, damaging at least 100 homes, destroying 25 and injuring one person. The National Weather Service confirmed two tornadoes in Wisconsin, with the one in Eagle possibly having winds of up to nearly 160 mph.

Eagle Fire Chief Justin Heim said all residents were accounted for, although some, including his family, had to be pulled from the rubble. He said it wasn't clear why the siren failed but finding out would be a high priority.

In Edna Mills, about 10 miles east of Lafayette, Ind., officials called for a voluntary evacuation as a small creek rushed over its banks, surrounding about three dozen homes and covering roads. School buses and boats were brought in to help residents who wanted to leave.

Heather St. Myer, her husband, Tom, and their seven children were among those who fled.

"We have been through it before, though we never had to be evacuated," St. Myer told the Journal & Courier of Lafayette. "The kids didn't want to leave."

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