(WXIN/WTTV): Duke Energy and AES Indiana worked to restore power for thousands of customers as high winds and a wintry snow mix touched down in central Indiana Wednesday night.
The impacts of the latest cold front, which was projected to bring wind gusts as high as 45 mph and cause temperatures to plummet, have now led to thousands of outages that have been reported throughout central Indiana.
According to Duke Energy’s power outage map, 2,027 customers were without power Wednesday night. The majority of these outages were near Fishers in Hamilton County while an additional 441 people are without power near the town of Clayton in Hendricks County. By 6:30 a.m., Duke's website reported 663 outages.
Meanwhile, AES Indiana reported more than 5,400 outages Wednesday night, with the majority of them on the near north side of Indianapolis. By 6:30 a.m., AES reported 745 outages around the city.
FOX59's Chief Meteorologist Brian Wilkes reported that a 62 mph wind gust was detected near the Indianapolis International Airport as the arctic front settled into Indianapolis and the surrounding localities. Lightning was also detected in Hamilton, Madison and Grant counties.
Deputies in Boone County reported around 9:45 p.m. that drivers should exercise extreme caution due to near-whiteout conditions that were observed.
A Wind Advisory was in effect for the majority of central Indiana until 7 a.m. Thursday.
AES Indiana provided the following tips for any customers who experience power outages:
- Turn off all appliances but leave on one lamp to know when power is restored
- Keep freezer and refrigerator doors closed
- If the indoor temperature falls below 55 degrees Fahrenheit, open your faucets slightly so they constantly drip to prevent pipes from freezing