Trees litter Showalter Fountain on the IU campus. (Courtesy: Dani Doyle)
Severe weather — county status, updates and submitted closings
11:30 a.m.
Both the city of Bloomington and Monroe County Emergency Management will begin storm debris cleanup today and continue through mid-August. Monroe County has updated its schedule to include Bloomington Township.
Press Release- Debris Pickup for County update by Indiana Public Media News on Scribd
July 1
4:00 p.m.
The City of Blooomington has released its storm debris cleanup plan.
In response to the storm that struck on Tues. June 25, the City of Bloomington is partnering with Williams Tree Company of Martinsville to assist residents with tree debris removal.
Beginning Mon. July 8, and continuing for two weeks, crews will collect tree and vegetation-related debris that residents have gathered into manageable piles. Residents are requested to place these piles near the road but ensure they are out of the right-of-ways to maintain safety and accessibility. This service is available to homes within the city limits.
Residents needing collection services can submit a request through UReport at bton.in/storm.
Additionally, a public drop-off site for vegetation debris will be available exclusively for residents in the parking lots adjacent to the ball fields at Lower Cascades at 3601 N. Old State Road 37, in partnership with the Parks and Recreation Department. The drop-off site will operate starting Saturday from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Residents must show ID to access this service.
For more information, please contact the City of Bloomington at 812-349-3400.
The dates and times for Monroe County debris collection is below.
Press Release- Debris Pickup for County by Indiana Public Media News on Scribd
10:00 a.m
As of the morning of July 1, Duke reports eight outages in Monroe County and 14 outages in Terre Haute. UDWI REMC is reporting 23 ouages along the storm path. SCI REMC is reporting 6 outages in Owen County.
Debris removal begins today and will continue for several weeks, according to the Monroe County Emergency Management Agency.
Tree debris will be picked up from the curb for residents within county jurisdiction. Residents must submit a request at https://forms.office.com/g/QeHLgSWmFD.
If you require assistance to move the debris to the curb, you can submit a request at https://forms.office.com/g/fmQiv8M3Yf.
June 28
9:30 a.m.
There are still 6,000 customers in Monroe County without power, according to Duke Energy. There are also 262 outages in Vigo County.
UDWI REMC is reporting 1,300 outages in Monroe County, 315 in Owen County, 663 in Clay County and 169 in Vigo County.
SCI REMC is reporting 19 customers in Monroe County without power, and 205 in Clay County.
A list of support resources can be found on the Bloomington city website.
June 27
1:00 p.m.
The Monroe County EMA sent a release, detailed below.
- NWS confirmed 65-75 mph line winds in Monroe, Owen, Vigo and Clay county. There are no reports of significant injuries at this point.
- Indiana 211 has collected more than 100 damage reports since Tuesday.
- The Salvation Army emergency shelter will close Thursday, but residents with housing needs are urged to reach out to Vinal Lee at 765-227-6909.
- Bloomington's High Street should be avoided until Friday.
- Hoosier Hills Food Bank will offer free emergency food distribution 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Friday. SNAP recipients may be eligible to replace lost food by contacting the Monroe County's Family Resources Division.
- Cases of bottled water will be distributed from 3 p.m. to 8 p.m. Thursday and 2 p.m. to 8 p.m. Friday at Sherwood Oaks Church.
- City and county clean-up crews will dispose of cut tree debris stacked near the edge of the property.
- Cooling stations remain available at Monroe County fire stations from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. through Saturday.
More information is available below.
10:00 a.m
As of 10 this morning, Duke Energy reports about 16,000 Monroe County residents and about 3,000 Vigo County residents still without power. Duke estimates most Monroe County residents will have power restored by midnight tonight.
UDWI REMC is reporting 2,800 outages between Monroe and Vigo County.
SCI REMC is reporting 50 outages in Monroe County, and 580 in Owen County.
Monroe County Emergency Management will activate a debris collection site today. Residents can set out items for curbside collection.
June 26
4:00 p.m.
The Monroe County Emergency Management Agency said as of 3 p.m. Wednesday, 36 damage reports were received through Indiana 211. Extensive damage has been reported at Lake Monroe. Cooling stations are available at Monroe County fire stations from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. through Saturday.
The Salvation Army opened an emergency overnight shelter at 111 N. Rogers St. to provide residents with food, restrooms and showers. Dinner will be served at 5 p.m. and entry must be before 8 p.m. Those seeking shelter should enter through the church entrance.
1:30 p.m.
Duke Energy is estimating power at some addresses to be back around midnight tomorrow.
Messages from UDWI REMC and SCI REMC are below.
12:23 p.m.
Duke Energy shared an update. It says extended outages are possible in the worst-affected areas, but have an additional 720 workers out assessing damages and clearing trees.
News Release_Duke Energy by Indiana Public Media News on Scribd
10:00 a.m.
Clay, Monroe, and Owen counties are under a travel advisory while crews clean up the storm damage. The Monroe County Board of Commissioners declared Monroe County in a local disaster due to the widespread damage around the county.
The city of Terre Haute has also declared a state of emergency. Both Bloomington and Terre Haute have turned on 211 for severe storm reports. Visit in211.org and click DAMAGE REPORTING to submit a report. Alternatively, you can also text 211, or call in at 866-211-9966 for assistance.
National Weather Service is anticipating more thunderstorms today into early evening. An isolated storm with damaging winds and large hail is possible this afternoon.
Duke Energy is reporting 55,315 customers in Indiana without power. SCI-REMC is reporting 1,464 customers in southern Indiana without power. UDWI-REMC is reporting 2,000 outages in Monroe County.
A Duke Energy message on its website reads as follows:
"A significant weather cell caused extensive damage across portions of the state on Tuesday, with wind gusts up to 65 mph in some areas. The storm uprooted trees, and damaged power lines, poles, and other electrical equipment. Our local crews responded immediately, but inclement weather continued to plague certain parts of the state overnight, slowing the pace of repairs. Additional crews are traveling to the hardest hit counties to provide further assistance. Estimated times for restoration in those areas will be shared once we've had the opportunity to fully assess the damage. Thank you for your patience. We will continue to provide updates as we progress."
June 25
8:30 p.m.
Duke Energy says it's repairing storm damage but the company isn't able to estimate when power will be restored to thousands of Monroe County homes.
In a text message to customers in the Bloomington area, the company wrote that while crews have begun making repairs in areas where storms have cleared, more severe weather is expected. "Extensive damage from the strongest storm cells will require pole replacements & line repairs before power can be restored in the areas hardest hit," the message said.
About 45,000 Monroe County customers are without power as of 8:30 p.m.
7:30 p.m.
More than 40,000 homes are still without power in Bloomington and nearby communities, including 4,000 in and around Ellettsville and 2,000 in the Smithville area, according to Duke Energy.
6:20 p.m.
Monroe County emergency management have issued a travel advisory for the county, meaning that routine travel or activities may be restricted in areas because of a hazardous situation.
Almost 74,000 people are without power through the Duke Energy outage map.
No weather watches or warnings are in effect.
5:45 p.m.
Thunderstorms with wind gusts up to 78 mph are causing major power outages throughout south central Indiana.
The National Weather Service in Indianapolis issued a severe thunderstorm warning at 4 p.m. Tuesday for 60 mph winds.
Early reports from storm spotters indicate 78 mph winds at Bloomington airport. High winds broke off eight-inch tree branches near the intersection of South Olcott Boulevard and East Moores Pike along with pea-size hail.
Traffic lights are out and tree limbs are scattered blocking roads - including Cherrywood Street and Raymond Drive in Terre Haute.
Duke Energy is reporting more than 42,000 people without power in Monroe County and 18,000 without power in Vigo County - along with thousands of others in the path of the storm. Crews are assessing damage and repair times.
National Weather Service officials are reporting no injuries at this time.
The severe thunderstorm watch has been canceled.
Joe Hren, George Hale and Katy Szpak contributed to this report.
