Power is restored in Hope, Flat Rock-Hawcreek schools closed; firefighters respond to lightning strike; Seymour power outage continues

1:45 p.m.: Wind warning

Winds in central Indiana this afternoon will be west 20-30 mph, with gusts to 40-45 mph, Bartholomew County Emergency Management reported. That’s enough to affect vehicle handling and blow around loose objects. The wind should decrease this evening as a strong low pressure system moves away from Indiana.

Noon: Columbus firefighters release details on home damaged by lightning strike

Columbus firefighters were called to 304 Sunset Drive at 7:38 a.m. Wednesday after a homeowner discovered a lightning strike. Homeowners told firefighters they saw lightning from the storm and the home’s lights had flickered, and initially they thought the home’s roof had been hit. After taking their daughter to school at about 7:15 a.m., the homeowners returned home and smelled smoke in the garage, said Capt. Mike Wilson, Columbus Fire Department spokesman.

The homeowners also found burn marks on a wall near a device that regulates the home’s invisible fencing unit, Wilson said. Firefighters removed that device and used a thermal imaging camera to determine if fire was within the walls, but couldn’t find any evidence that the home was on fire, Wilson said. Firefighters also found evidence of a lightning strike on a wooden deck and on the ground behind the home, where damage was found to the deck fencing, Wilson said. Firefighters did not have a damage estimate to the home’s electrical system but advised the homeowners to contact a licensed electrician for repairs before powering up the tripped circuit breakers, Wilson said.

11:30 a.m.: Lights back on in Hope

Duke Energy spokesman Chip Orben said power has been restored in the Hope area after substation damage there overnight. However, about 200 customers in Columbus remain without power and work continues to restore electricity to them. In Seymour, the power outage to an estimated 7,000 customers remains as an entire substation went out — the city’s downtown area is without power now, Orben said. At this time, a mobile substation is being put in place, but does take time for installation, Orben said. There is no estimated time when power in Seymour will be restored, but Duke Energy will continue with updates, Orben said.

9:35 a.m.: Flat Rock-Hawcreek schools closed.

Flat Rock-Hawcreek School Corp. is closed today as Duke Energy continues to work to restore power to the Hope area. Duke Energy spokesman Chip Orben said crews are working on a substation in the Hope area that was damaged by the storm, but power in the Hope area is not expected to be restored until 11 a.m.

9:15 a.m. Duke Energy outage update

Duke Energy is reporting 1,579 outages in northern Bartholomew County and southern Shelby County

• 1,198 customers in the Hope/Hartsville/Rugby area
• 381 customers from Clifford in north central Bartholomew County to Flat Rock in southern Shelby County

9:15 a.m. REMC power outage update

8:02 a.m. Duke Energy outages

8 a.m. REMC power outage breakdown

7:30 a.m. Storms sweep through area

Storms have been moving through the area for much of the morning.

Columbus firefighters are responding to a house struck by lightning on Sunset Drive, and a bus shelter near Ivy Tech has been damaged by the storm, according to reports.

Flat Rock-Hawcreek schools are on a two-hour delay.

Bartholomew County REMC has lost power to the Hope substation affecting 300 members.  Crews are onsite with Duke Energy to restore the outage being caused by Duke Energy transmission line issues providing power to the substation.

This outage is also affecting Duke Energy customers.

Watch out for water pooling on roads and downed power lines and tree limbs.

In Jackson County, Seymour Community Schools are closed today because of power issues. Trinity Lutheran High School and Crothersville Community Schools also are on two-hour delays.

Indiana State Police also reported troopers were working a wreck involving a jackknifed semitrailer that have the southbound lanes of Interstate 65 blocked near the 36-mile-marker in southern Jackson County.

That wreck was reported at about 6:30 a.m. today.

Check back for updates.