The Monroe County Board of Commissioners declared a local disaster emergency Tuesday evening, following power outages and wind damage caused by severe storms. It will remain in effect until July 2.
The county remains under a travel advisory, which means routine travel and activities may be restricted in some areas, and residents should use caution or avoid them.
Under the emergency, public officials are directed to use “the utmost diligence” when performing duties required of them for the duration of the emergency. Citizens are also asked to comply with emergency measures and cooperate with officials and disaster services.
“All operating forces will direct their communications and requests for assistance and operations directly to the Monroe County Emergency Operations Center,” the declaration read.
Monroe County residents needing immediate shelter assistance due to storm damage can reach Monroe County Emergency Management Agency Deputy Director Justin Baker: justinbaker@co.monroe.in.us or 812-349-2546.
Residents can also report housing or other structural damage at in211.org or by dialing 211.
Tuesday’s storm downed power lines, according to the declaration. People should avoid downed power lines, as they can energize the ground up to 35 feet away, according to South Central Indiana Rural Electric Membership Cooperative. Contact with a downed line’s electrical current can result in injury or death.
Trees around Bloomington and on the IU campus, including near Showalter Fountain, Dunn Meadow and Dunn's Woods, were knocked down, as well. Traffic lights around Bloomington also remain out.
An IU facility operations worker puts fallen parts of a tree into a shredder on June 26, 2024, near Dunn's Woods in Bloomington. IU Police said Tuesday on social media they were "aware" of power outages and storm damage on campus.
Businesses and government offices around Bloomington are closed Wednesday due to the power outages. Affected locations include Sherwood Oaks Christian Church, the Bureau of Motor Vehicles Bloomington branch and the Indiana Department of Revenue’s Bloomington district office.
More thunderstorms are expected Wednesday, with the possibility of damaging winds, large hail and heavy rain, according to the National Weather Service.
How long will power outages last?
Over 40,000 Duke Energy customers in Monroe County are without power as of Wednesday morning, according to the outage map. Over 52,000 are without power across the state.
Kenzie Barbknecht, Duke Energy Indiana spokesperson, wrote Wednesday on X Bloomington and Terre Haute were “ground zero” of the storm’s worst damage.
She wrote Duke has brought in 730 linemen, damage assessors and personnel in addition to ground crews.
However, Barbknecht said extended outages are likely in “the hardest hit areas.” Duke will be able to provide more specific restoration time estimates after they finish assessing the damage, she wrote.
“We are also keeping an eye on the weather and more potential storms that could hamper restoration,” Barbknecht wrote.
Around 170 South Central Indiana REMC customers in Monroe County have been affected by the outages as of Wednesday morning.
SCIREMC said Wednesday morning on Facebook additional crews will assist today, but repairing broken poles could take additional time.
Around 1,900 Utilities District of Western Indiana REMC customers in the county are experiencing outages as of Wednesday morning.
UDWIREMC said Wednesday morning on Facebook that contract crews and volunteer cooperatives around the state are assisting with repairs.
