Severe storms leave 100,000+ Hoosiers without power
INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — More than 100,000 Indiana residents remained without power Friday after Thursday afternoon’s severe storms.
Crews from AES Indiana, Indianapolis’ electricity provider, and Duke Energy began repair work on Thursday, but damage to power lines and equipment is so extensive that it will likely be several days before power is fully restored.
AES Indiana brought in additional crews and is getting support from utility companies in Illinois, Ohio, and Tennessee, according to spokesperson Kelly Young.
“It’s hard when you look outside now and it’s sunny and beautiful and people are wondering and frustrated why their power isn’t back on. Our crews are working as hard as they can,” Young said on Daybreak Friday.
Duke Energy is bringing in a “small army” from other states to help repair widespread damage, according to Duke Energy Indiana President Stan Pinegar.
“We are seeing large numbers of broken poles, trees in power lines, and spans of wire down,” Pinegar said in a release. “We also had damage on our electric transmission system, which includes power lines and structures that are our major carriers of power.”
Even when power is restored, relief for Hoosiers might be relatively short-lived.
As Storm Track 8 has reported, more severe storms are possible through Monday.
- Storm and safety resources available in Indianapolis
- Thursday’s storms officially declared a derecho
Two Kroger locations at 65th and Keystone and 71st and Binford were temporarily closed due to power outages from Thursday’s storms. Kroger’s Manager of Corporate Affairs Eric Halvorson told News 8 that both locations experienced the loss of products and ensured that the company disposes of anything out of food safety guidelines.
Outage information
AES Indiana
As of 5:13 p.m. Friday, about 34,671 AES Indiana customers were without electricity.
The company’s website has a page that shows where outages are happening.
AES says customers can check its website to learn how to deal with downed power lines, report an outage, keep food safe, and more.
Duke Energy
As of 5:12 p.m. Friday, just over 83,266 Duke Energy customers were without power.
The largest outages were reported near Terre Haute, Bloomington, Greencastle, and Columbus.
The company’s website has a page that shows where outages are happening.
Duke customers can visit the company’s website for tips on how to manage food safety, meter damage, generators, and more.
Other power providers
Other providers reporting widespread outages on Friday included CenterPoint Energy Indiana, Indiana Michigan Power, Southeastern Indiana REMC, Tipton REMC, Utility District of Western Indiana, and WIN Energy REMC.