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EF-1 tornado touched down in Washington County

March 21 National Weather Service map
March 21 National Weather Service map

The National Weather Service has confirmed a tornado touched down in southern Indiana, nearly hitting the Washington County Courthouse in Salem.

The weather service said in a preliminary report Sunday night that the EF-1 twister touched down 5.5 miles (8.85 kilometers) southwest of Salem and remained on the ground for eight minutes.

The tornado had a peak wind speed of 105 mph (168.98 kilometers per hour) and a peak width of 200 yards (182.88 meters) about 4 miles (6.44 kilometers) miles southwest of Salem, which is located 81 miles (130 kilometers) south of Indianapolis.

The weather service did not say whether the tornado caused any significant damage.