MONROE COUNTY – Severe thunderstorms went through the northwestern portion of Monroe County on the evening of Wednesday, June 17th. The storms produced destructive winds and heavy rainfall, resulting in damage in a rural region outside of the town of Stinesville near Gosport and the southern Morgan County border. The National Weather Service has preliminarily surveyed that an EF-2 tornado traveled approximately 15.35 miles with wind speeds of 130 mph within the northwestern part of the county.
As the Emergency Management Agency conducts damage assessments, it has been observed that several structures within the rural area have been reported to be impacted. As the damage assessments are completed, the information gathered will be relayed to the Indiana Department of Homeland Security. The tornado also brought down several trees and power lines. For the safety of the public and first responders, please refrain from traveling in the rural area outside of the Town of Stinesville to the Owen and Morgan County borders.
For anyone directly impacted by the June 17th tornado, the American Red Cross has opened up a Resource Center that is located at the Stinesville Community Center (Old Stinesville Elementary School), 7973 Main St, Stinesville, IN. The Resource Center will be open between the hours of 9:00 AM and 7:00 PM every day until further notice. Impacted residents can go to the Resource Center to receive disaster assistance, information, and food. If you are in need of temporary shelter, please report that to the Resource Center or call the American Red Cross hotline at 1-800-733-2767.
Indiana 211 has been activated for damage reporting. If you received any damage to your house or business, please report the damage via 211. To report your damage, individuals can visit in211.org & click on DAMAGE REPORTING to submit a report—OR—those without access to the internet can dial 2-1-1 or 866-211-9966 (Monday-Friday, 8 am-6 pm), and staff will assist. The top priority for county officials at this time is to make sure all impacted individuals have immediate needs met.
For any questions, contact Justin Baker at justinbaker@co.monroe.in.us or at 812-349-2533.
