Residents across northern Indiana and southwest Michigan spent Thursday evening monitoring the skies and seeking shelter as a powerful line of severe thunderstorms swept through the region, prompting multiple tornado warnings and severe weather alerts throughout Michiana.

The end result of the storms were multiple reports of structure damage and more than 42,000 Indiana Michigan Power customers losing electricity.

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The storms developed ahead of a strong cold front moving across the Midwest. The National Weather Service issued a series of tornado warnings as severe thunderstorms capable of producing tornadoes tracked across several counties in both Indiana and Michigan. Confirmed tornadoes were reported near Bristol in Elkhart County and near Kouts in Starke County. Tornadoes were also reported touching down in Porter County, Indiana.

In Michigan, tornado warnings were also issued for portions of Berrien, Cass and St. Joseph counties.

The severe weather system brought damaging wind gusts, torrential rainfall, frequent lightning and the potential for large hail. Weather officials warned that any thunderstorms capable of producing tornadoes could also generate destructive straight-line winds, making it difficult to distinguish between tornado and wind damage immediately following the storms.

As the storms pushed through the region, reports of downed trees, power outages and localized flooding began to emerge. Utility crews and emergency responders were prepared to assess damage and restore services once conditions became safe.

Photos & Videos of storm damage from our weather partners at WSBT-TV

The severe weather marked one of the most active tornado warning events of the year for Michiana and the 95.3 MNC listening area.

Forecasters said the storms were expected to move out of the area overnight, bringing cooler and less humid conditions for storm clean-up, power restoration and the weekend ahead.