National Weather Service United States Department of Commerce

Severe Thunderstorms and Heavy Rainfall in the Southern Plains; Heat Continues in the West

Strong to severe thunderstorms may bring areas of excessive rainfall and flooding over parts of the southern Plains today through Friday. Hot to dangerously hot temperatures are forecast across portions of the Pacific Northwest and southern Great Basin today. Gusty winds, dry, and hot conditions will bring critical fire weather to parts of central Washington state today. Read More >

July 29, 1943
Counties:  Clark, IN
F-scale:   F3
Deaths:  0
Injuries:  25
Path width:  300 yards
Path length:  7 miles
Time:  7:00pm
Narrative:  After damaging a farm one mile west of Charlestown, the tornado moved into the village.  The twister first struck Pleasant Ridge on the southwest side of town, which was a neighborhood of pre-fab housing built for war effort employees.  Sixty-five homes were unroofed, shifted, or blown apart, and seven people were badly hurt.  The tornado sounded like "a dozen freight trains crossing a trestle."  It then proceeded through the center of Charlestown and removed several roofs.  The tornado was about three blocks wide in Charlestown.  Debris could be seen in the air swirling around the funnel.