Rare March EF-4 Tornado Hit Insdiana

Was this the worst March tornado outbreak in US history?  Looking like it.  The Henryille, IN tornado, was a rare March-EF-4, officially.

NWS: Henryville struck by EF-4 tornado

Updated: Saturday, 03 Mar 2012, 7:11 PM EST
Published : Saturday, 03 Mar 2012, 7:11 PM EST

• Kristin Maiorano

HENRYVILLE, Ind. (WLFI) - The fatality count remains at 14 for the deadly tornadoes that hit southern Indiana yesterday, and now the National Weather Service says at least one of those storms is believed to have hit EF-4 strength. 

Indiana State Police held a news conference around 5 p.m. Saturday, updating the cleanup efforts in the area.

National Weather Service officials said they had three teams out assessing the damage from Friday's storms. They said the path of the first tornado looks to be at least 52 miles in length, and damage was up to 150 yards wide in some places.

They said wind speeds topped out around 175 miles per hour, and the storm is classified in the top two percent of the most intense tornadoes in history. 

"It's in that violent category that most tornadoes never come anywhere near to," said National Weather Service meteorologist Joe Sullivan. "I have not actually been out on any of the damage survey teams, but I have been here in Henryville, and I've seen some of the most intense and incredible damage I've ever seen in all of my damage surveys. And I've done a number of them, especially here in the Ohio Valley." 

State troopers say they will be enforcing a curfew in Clark County, from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m., to discourage looters. They said only homeowners will be allowed in damaged areas.

Clark County commissioners said they expect cleanup will begin on Monday.