COLUMBUS, Ind. – Severe thunderstorms have rocked Columbus and the surrounding area on Saturday, leaving thousands without power.
At 3:53 p.m., a severe thunderstorm was located near Columbus, moving northeast at 60 mph. The damage broke power lines and littered the area with tree debris.
Lt. Matt Harris of the Columbus Police Department (CPD) said officers were directing traffic where necessary due to the power outages. Both CPD and the Columbus Fire Department (CFD) have responded to a number of weather-related calls, including crashes, downed trees on homes, and structure fires.
Originally 15,000 residences were without power in Bartholomew County alone, according to Duke Energy’s Chip Orben. As of 9:30 p.m. on Saturday, that number was down to 11,000. Duke Energy does not have an estimated repair time for power to be back up for everyone. Customers are asked to call 1-800-343-3525 to report an outage. They can view outages at www.duke-energy.com.
The Columbus Fire Department continued to respond to calls into Sunday, one of which was a possible residential fire in the 2700 Block of Franklin St caused by a downed power line.
CFD public information officer Mike Wilson reminds residents to avoid any downed power lines, as they could still remain charged and cause electrocution. Once power is restored, residents should look for any signs of electrical shorts or arching. If you do find any indication of an electrical issue, call 9-1-1.
This story will be updated.
