16,000 Indiana Duke Energy Customers Lose Power In Tuesday Storms

The line of strong storms that swept across much of Indiana Tuesday left in its wake more than 16,000 power outages, according to Duke Energy.

But Duke spokesman Lew Middleton says it wasn’t the number of customers left without power that was taxing power line crews.

“The unusual thing is that the outages are spread out as geographically as they are," Middleton says. "We’ve certainly had greater numbers of outages, but usually those are concentrated in a smaller geography.”

Customers in more than 30 Indiana counties reported electrical issues to Duke Tuesday afternoon.

The hardest-hit area was Boone County, just northwest of Indianapolis, where more than 4,500 outages were reported.

Kokomo saw more than 2,400 customers were in the dark, and Hamilton County had 2,200 buildings without power.

Duke is the primary electric provider for about the southern three-quarters of Indiana and saw outages as far north as Wabash County and as far south as the Ohio River city of Madison.

Middleton couldn’t say how many crews were working in the field simultaneously, but did say the company hadn’t asked for any outside help in solving the problems.