Ike knocks out power; many still without; no injuries reported locally

Part of downtown Seymour and many of its neighborhoods remained without power this morning following a wind storm Sunday from the remnants of Hurricane Ike.

A Duke Energy recording on its line to report outages indicated many of the outages should be restored between noon and 1 p.m. Monday. Others, it said, could be without power for two to three days.

Two area schools closed Monday because of the storm -- Crothersville Community Schools and Medora Community Schools.

UPDATED AT 5:26 p.m. SUNDAY:

A high wind warning remains in effect for Jackson County until 7 p.m. Sunday, according to the National Weather Service.

The area remains under a wind advisory until 8 p.m.

Through 7 p.m. Sunday, winds will continue to gust between 55 and 60 mph across east central Indiana.

After 7 p.m., winds will diminish but under the wind advisory, wind may gust to 35 mph.

UPDATED AT 3:04 p.m. SUNDAY:

Seymour Police Department and Jackson County Sheriff's Department reported trees and limbs are scattered across the area Sunday afternoon.

A dispatcher with Seymour Police Department said city firefighters were responding to calls throughout the city, but none of them involved fires or injuries. Power lines were down around the city, including on North Elm Street between Third and Fourth streets.

Scattered power outaged were reported throughout the area.

A dispatcher with the sheriff's department said the office has received many reports of trees fown but had no reports of any injuries.

UPDATED at 2:46 p.m. SUNDAY:

A high wind advisory remains in effect for Jackson County until 4 p.m. Sunday, the National Weather Service said.

A wind advisory will be in effect from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m.

And a high wind warning remains in effect until 4 p.m.

Sustained winds near 30 mph are expected with an occasional gust of more than 60 mph. this afternoon.

Winds that strong can make driving difficult, especially for high-profile vehucles. Any loose property can easily blow away in such heavy winds.

A high wind warning means a hazardous high wind is expected or occuring.

ORIGINAL POST AT 1:46 p.m. SUNDAY:

Remnants of Hurricane Ike are sweeping through Jackson County, snapping limbs, blowing down trees and knocking trash cans and other materials around.

A tree or part of a tree fell across West Sixth Street in Seymour just west of Emerson Drive.

Part of the falling tree or limb battered a passing car. The driver, waiting for police to arrive, said everyone was OK.

Another tree was across Elm Street between Fourth and Third streets.

SECOND POST AT 1:48 p.m. SUNDAY:

Wind gusts of 30 to 45 mph can be expected across Central Indiana today, with the higher gusts expected across southern and eastern sections of the area, according to the National Weather Service forecast for the Jackson County area.

The heaviest rain should remain to the northwest of Central Indiana. Because of the current dry conditions north of U.S. 50, rain of up to 3 inches will have little effect on streams. 

At this time any rainfall totals approaching 3 inches should be limited to areas north and west of Lafayette.

The rain initially will be welcomed, but Indiana may receive too much by Monday. As a result lowland flooding may develop during the week of September 14.   Flooding during September is somewhat unusual. In recent years September flooding has occurred in central and southern Indiana as the result of the remnants of tropical storms.

UPATE AT 2:35 p.m. SUNDAY:

Another tree fell across South Chestnut Street between Brown and Laurel streets around 2 p.m.

Vinyl siding was being stripped off a house northeast of the American Legion Post in the downtown area of Seymour.

The tree across Sixth Street west of Emerson Drive was quickly cleared from the street.

Officer Bernard Petro said the tree across Elm Street between Third and Fourth streets was still blocking traffic. It will be cleared once Duke Energy crews deal with the power lines the tree knocked down, Ptero said around 2 p.m.

UPATE at 2:42 p.m. SUNDAY:

Tree limbs littered Gaiser Park on Seymour's south side Sunday afternoon, and two or three trees were uprooted at the park.