WFHB Bloomington Community Radio
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Severe storms on Saturday produced strong winds, heavy rain, and tornado warnings across the southern part of the state.
The storms affected local counties including Monroe, Brown, Greene, Owen, Morgan, and Lawrence. Tornadoes in Greene and Monroe counties destroyed several homes and damaged more. The National Weather Service confirmed six tornadoes across the state.
Downed trees and flooded roads created hazardous driving conditions throughout Monroe County. The worst damage affected the northern part of the county. Power outages in Monroe left over two thousand Duke Energy customers without electricity.
Flood waters in Brown and Hancock counties trapped two families in their homes Saturday night. Indiana Conservation Officers rescued a family of five in Hancock. Indiana Department of Natural Resources conservation officers and members of the Brown County Volunteer Fire Department rescued a family of four in Brown County. Both homes are near creeks which flooded during this weekend’s storms.
The National Weather Service is issuing an ongoing flash flood watch across southern Indiana. The watch includes Monroe, Brown, Greene, Owen, Morgan, and Lawrence counties. The watch is active through Tuesday afternoon. The Service warns that continued storms the rest of the week could lead to more flooding.
The Monroe County Board of Commissioners is declaring a local disaster emergency in the county, after a tornado passed through Ellettsville. The National Weather Service reminds drivers during this time to heed emergency alerts and to “turn around, don’t drown” when encountering flooded roads.
