Elkhart residents clean up after severe winds cause widespread damage

ELKHART, Ind. (WNDU) - Community members in Elkhart are cleaning up Friday after severe winds caused damage throughout the city and resulted in widespread power outages.

The storm brought everything from uprooted trees to vehicle damage and property structural damage, along with heavy downpours and lightning. Several roads were filled with debris, including tree limbs and other hazards.

Elkhart Fire Chief Rodney Dale said there are downed trees on houses, garages and other properties. However, no injuries have been reported.

“The best thing is the storm hit us pretty hard last night, but we do not have any confirmed injuries,” Dale said. “We’ve got some trees down on properties, houses and garages, but we didn’t have anybody trapped inside their homes, no one got hurt.”

Safety warnings for children

With it being the start of summer break, Dale is advising parents to keep their children away from downed trees because they could be caught in powerlines.

“With school being out, I would like to advise parents to please keep your children away from these downed trees,” Dale said. “I know they may want to go over and play on them or whatever. But we don’t know if those powerlines are still energized or not, and that can be very, very dangerous.”

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Power outages and traffic concerns

Thousands of residents remain without power. According to I&M, crews are working to restore power to most of Elkhart by 11 p.m. Friday. If your power isn’t restored by then, I&M estimates you’ll have it back by 11 p.m. Saturday.

For the latest look at power outage numbers across the city, click here for I&M’s outage map.

City officials said residents are urged to exercise caution while traveling. Any intersection with a non-functioning traffic signal should be treated as a four-way stop. Traffic lights down throughout the city have caused congestion and backups.

Need help?

Residents should report non-emergency storm damage through the MyElkhart311 app, by calling 311, or the city’s website.

Residents are also encouraged to report damage to Indiana 211 to help state officials assess the impact and plan recovery efforts. Residents can contact Indiana 211 by calling 866-211-9966 or visiting the Indiana 211 website to report damage.

Downed power lines should be reported directly to AEP. There is no charge for reporting a downed power line.

Residents in need of non-emergency assistance related to storm damage are encouraged to call 211. The service can connect individuals and families with resources such as food, shelter, healthcare and other community support services.

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