The strong storms that left a trail of damage Wednesday night through the county were officially classified as straight-line winds.
The National Weather Service in Indianapolis said last week’s storms did not produce any tornadoes in Johnson County.
The most significant storm damage was in downtown Franklin, where homes were destroyed and the roof of a popular pub blown off. Across the county, the storm split and uprooted trees and downed power lines. Thousands were without power for more than 16 hours after the storm passed.
Straight-line winds can cause just as much damage as a small tornado, said Aaron Updike, a meteorologist for the weather service based in Indianapolis. Most small tornadoes pack winds of 60 to 80 miles per hour, and the straight-line winds in Johnson County reached that level with gusts up to 70 miles per hour, he said.
"Straight-line winds can certainly do significant damage to shelters and some structures," Updike said.
