Storms bring heavy rainfall, cause power outages in central Indiana

INDIANAPOLIS — Storms brought heavy rainfall and caused power outages in central Indiana on Sunday afternoon.

A severe thunderstorm warning was issued for much of the area just before 1 p.m. The National Weather Service indicated thunderstorm watches were in effect for counties as far west as Montgomery County and as far east as Wayne County. The watches also stretched as far north as Allen County and as far south as Franklin County.

The NWS also reported that flood warnings were enacted along the Wabash River at Montezuma and Lafayette and the Tippecanoe River at Delphi.

The flood warnings were issued because the remnants of Hurricane Beryl rolled through the area last week and dumped rain in rivers. Sunday’s rainfall exacerbated the condition the rivers were in.

A notification from the Lafayette Police Department indicated Sunday’s storms forced officials to close Schuyler Avenue between North 18th Street and Sagamore Parkway. Police reported that power lines and trees were down in the area.

According to Duke Energy’s outage map , nearly 300 of the company’s customers were without power between Lafayette and Kokomo. More than 1,000 Duke Energy customers in parts of Hamilton and Madison Counties were experiencing outages as of 4:30 p.m.

Approximately 1,000 Duke Energy customers between New Castle and Connersville didn’t have power as of 4:30 p.m.

In Indianapolis, nearly 2,000 people didn’t have power as of 4:40 p.m. Most of the outages were reported on the north side of the city.

Among the businesses without power was the Children’s Museum of Indianapolis. According to a press release, the museum had to close for the day because of “a power outage … caused by a severe thunderstorm in central Indiana.”

Guests that bought tickets to the museum on Sunday will be allowed to return and use the tickets they purchased at a later date. Patrons with additional questions can contact the museum’s call center at (317) 334-4000 or visit the museum’s box office.

As of 3:32 p.m., power had been restored at the Children’s Museum of Indianapolis. Officials indicated the museum will be open on Monday.

The storms also caused disruptions at Sunday’s Indianapolis Indians game. The Indians’ matchup with the Columbus Clippers was delayed because of the inclement weather. Fans were also forced to take shelter around the concourse as rain funneled through Victory Field.

Rain was also seen pouring down the stairs at Victory Field:

The thunderstorm watches that the NWS issued Sunday are expected to be in effect through 7 p.m. As of this article’s publication, no additional warnings or watches had been issued by the NWS.

Note: Video at the top of this story shows a downpour Sunday’s storms produced in Carmel.

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