KOKOMO, Ind. – A Kokomo Starbucks usually known for a variety of coffees and a relaxed atmosphere turned into a frightening construction site after it was wrecked by an EF3 tornado.
The Starbucks near Markland Mall flattened after a tornado brought 152 mile per hour winds according to the National Weather Service, a revised amount up from 136 mph. You can watch video of the tornado bulldoze the Starbucks in the video player above.
The first set of photos were tweeted out by Conor Daly, race car driver in the Verizon IndyCar series.
Unbelievable! Just left @kokomospeedway and found an entire Starbucks displaced by tornado! Hope everyone is ok! pic.twitter.com/PR3GwexNb0
— Conor Daly (@ConorDaly22) August 24, 2016
Hannah Grace Harris was taking cover in the Starbucks bathroom when it collapsed.
She shared her appreciation for the two men who helped save her life via Facebook.
Starbucks issued a statement shortly after the tragedy.
“We want to express our heartfelt concern for all those personally affected by a tornado that touched down in the community Kokomo, Indiana, this afternoon. We are relieved to report all partners (employees) and customers from the Starbucks store at US 35 & SR 22 are safe. We will continue to support our store partners and local authorities in any way we can.”
We’re relieved to report that all partners & customers from our store in Kokomo, IN are safe. Our thoughts are with all those affected. ??
— Starbucks Coffee (@Starbucks) August 24, 2016
Other tweets showed employees expressing sympathy for one another after the storm had passed.
Angel Ramos, shift manager, embraced by friends, his manager. He had employees and customers take cover in bathroom. pic.twitter.com/m1tPJvvgOh
— Cara Ball (@CaraKTVideo) August 24, 2016
The Department of Homeland Security reported that 20 homes were destroyed and 18 showed major damage in the Cedar Crest addition near the Markland Mall in Kokomo.
