EVANSVILLE – Storm storms and a possible tornado swept through parts of Vanderburgh and Warrick counties Tuesday, leaving flooding, damage and power outages in their wake.
2:04 p.m.: More storms rolling through the region
A severe thunderstorm watch is in effect for most of the Tri-State through 7 p.m. CDT. More details can be found here.
2:03 p.m.: CenterPoint outage map shows more than 6,000 without power
The CenterPoint outage map shows the utility has essentially cut the number of customers without power in half since mid-morning. As of 2 p.m., the total number of customers without power was at 6,378.
1:50 p.m.: Weather service confirms damage was from a tornado
The National Weather Service confirmed that a tornado struck parts of Vanderburgh and Warrick counties on Tuesday evening.
More details will be released later, but the agency said the damage reflects an EF-1 tornado with peak winds estimated at 110 mph.
11:15 a.m.: CenterPoint customers still without power
CenterPoint sent a news release Wednesday morning stating as of 10 a.m., there are still 11,000 customers without power.
11 a.m.: Warrick County declares local disaster emergency
Warrick County Commissioners held an emergency meeting Wednesday morning where they declared a local disaster emergency following Tuesday night's severe storms.
The declaration will be in effect for 10 days.
Debris pickup from the county
The commissioners also announced Warrick County Highway Department would pick up and dispose of "woody vegetation storm debris" placed within 10 feet of the roadway in impacted areas.
"Our goal is to open the roadways first and then start the debris removal August 5," the release states.
The county highway department can be reached at 812-897-6126 to inquire about the pickup program.
"We ask that the woody vegetation be no longer than 8’ and have a diameter of 24” or less. Please have the debris to the designated area as soon as possible as we are trying to limit the number of trips to the same area," the release states.
Residents can also bring their vegetation storm debris to Solid Waste Management at 1111 S Pelzer Road or the Vann Road Park facility.
There will be no charge while the declared emergency is in effect, the release states.
Cooling station set in Boonville
A cooling station is set at Main Street United Methodist Church at 222 East Main St. in Boonville. It will be open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Those entering the church should come in through the gym.
9:34 a.m.: Rides available to shelter at Castle High School
Warrick County EMA Director Matthew Goebel announced via social media there will be rides available to Castle High School's shelter if they have been displaced from the storms.
Call 812-217-0155 to schedule a pickup. This will go from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
No animals are allowed at the shelter unless they are an ADA certified animal.
9:15 a.m.: Report damage to 211
According to Warrick County Emergency Management Indiana 211 has been activated for Warrick County residents to report storm damage to properties.
Individuals can visit in211.org, click on DAMAGE REPORTING and submit a report. Those without internet access can dial 2-1-1 or 866-211-9966.
9:06 a.m.: Weather service: 'We do think there may have been a tornado in that area'
The National Weather Service's Chris Knowles said what a lot of people were already thinking: "we do think there may have been a tornado in that area."
In a video provided to media Wednesday morning, Knowles unveiled radar images that showed an area of circulation that erupted near the Vanderburgh / Warrick County borders around 6:30 p.m. Tuesday.
He said the circulation, sandwiched between two cells, seemed to have plenty of "depth," indicating a possible tornado touching the ground.
NWS crews will fan across Warrick County and parts of Vanderburgh this morning to survey the damage and make a final determination.
Wednesday, 8:45 a.m.: Power woes lingering; Red Cross opens shelter in Warrick County
More than 12 hours after the storms hit, over 10,000 customers were still without power as of Wednesday morning.
CenterPoint's outage map listed 374 outages affecting an estimated 10,655 customers as of 8:45 a.m. That's down from an estimated 30,000 during the outages' peak.
"CenterPoint Energy is currently assessing widespread damage to its electric system," spokesman Noah Stubbs wrote in an email to media late Tuesday night. "... Crews will continue to evaluate the extent of the damage and begin the restoration process, making necessary repairs to damaged poles, cross arms and downed wires. Tomorrow, additional crews will arrive to support the restoration efforts."
He said CenterPoint "acknowledges those impacted by tonight’s severe weather and extends gratitude to emergency responders."
The outages come as the Evansville area braces for one of the hottest days of the year. According to the National Weather Service, the heat index could surpass 110 degrees this afternoon.
But there's help available. In a Facebook post Wednesday morning, American Red Cross of Indiana said they'd set up a shelter at Castle High School (3344 Indiana 61, Newburgh). It's open to anyone needing air conditioning and a hot meal.
9 p.m. Power outages rise again in Evansville and Warrick County
By 9 p.m., CenterPoint's reported outages had crept up again. More than 20,000 customers were making due without power.
The blackouts stretched from Western Vanderburgh County to Warrick. Some areas reported only a handful of darkened households, while other spots – including the Oak Grove Road corridor in Warrick – saw thousands without electricity.
The outages come as huge swaths of the Tri-State labor under boiling heat. The National Weather Service said heat indexes could surge past 110 degrees by Wednesday at 3 p.m.
Although some outages had been repaired Tuesday night, there was no word on how long the issues would linger.
8:30 p.m.: Weather service to survey damage Wednesday; power outages dip
Derrick Snyder, with the Paducah office of the NWS, said the weather service will send a "damage survey team to the Chandler ... area" Wednesday morning.
Surveyors mostly found downed trees and limbs. There were also toppled fences and some minor structural damage.
Power outages in the area had dipped some, but were still high. CenterPoint reported around 17,000 customers without power as of 8:28.
8:10 p.m.: Almost 29,000 without power
According to CenterPoint's outage map , almost 29,000 customers in the Evansville and Newburgh areas were without power as of 8 p.m.
In Evansville, the largest clusters occurred in the far western portions of Vanderburgh County. There were also thousands without power along Diamond Avenue, near the Stringtown area. In Newburgh, the largest outages were along Oak Grove Road.
8:05 p.m.
A Courier & Press photographer clocking the damage spotted lots of tree damage in the Paradise area northwest of Newburgh.
Via the National Weather Service, surveyors reported downed limbs, bent or broken fences, and minor structural damage, especially to masonry and roofs.
7:53 p.m.
From the Warrick County Sheriff's Facebook page: "Traffic is very bad due to power outages and road closures. Please remain safe and stay home if you can!"
7:45 p.m.: A reported tornado and power outages
National Weather Service officials were fielding multiple reports of damage, mainly in Warrick County and parts of northeastern Vanderburgh. Around 6:45 p.m., NWS heard reports that a tornado had touched down near Chandler.
Officials on the ground reported slews of tree damage just south of the small town. The Evansville area was also under a flash flood warning as strong bands of rain flushed water into the roads.
Evansville-Vanderburgh Central Dispatch confirmed that Warrick County authorities requested mutual aid, but would not confirm what units were dispatched.
CenterPoint didn't show any outages on its online map as of 7:35 , but Justin Gibbs with the NWS said outages are "probably ... pretty extensive from the damage that's been reported."
This article originally appeared on Evansville Courier & Press: Live updates: Warrick County declares local disaster emergency after severe weather
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