Half dozen tornadoes reported in Monroe County, Red Cross shelter opens

Based on information from the National Weather Service, at least a half dozen tornadoes were reported in Monroe County on Friday (May 17).

The storm caused damage to several residences. Shortly after midnight, Monroe County emergency management announced the opening of a Red Cross shelter at Sherwood Oaks Christian Church at 2700 E. Rogers Rd.

The storm was forecast to hit after 5 p.m. and it arrived more or less on schedule. Just before 6 p.m. the National Weather Service issued a tornado watch for Monroe County and several other counties in the path of a severe weather system approaching from the west.

It appears that around 7:30 p.m. a tornado touched down southwest of the Monroe County airport, near SR 45 and Garrison Chapel Road. The funnel cloud then carved a swath of destruction on an east-west path that crossed the junction of I-69 and SR 37, and smashed the Clear Creek post office on Rogers Street, continuing east where it flipped several cars, and caused extensive damage to the Economy Inn on Old SR 37.

Around 9:30 p.m. Rogers Street was closed around the latitude of That Road. Around the same time Old SR 37 was also closed a bit south of the Kroger store.

Police scanner traffic indicated at least one potential fatality, but it was not clear where the reports originated. Bloomington police chief Mike Diekhoff told The B Square he was not aware of any fatalities on the southern track of the tornado.

A news release issued by the Monroe County sheriff's office shortly after midnight reported five non-severe storm-related injuries, but also one 96-year-old man who sustained a head injury. The 96-year-old was taken by ambulance to IU Health Bloomington Hospital, according to the release. According to the release, his head injury was non-life threatening.

The news release described heavy storm damage to West State Road 45, Stanford Road, Ison Road, Elwren Road, and Harmony Road areas on the west side of Monroe County. There were several downed trees, and power lines down, and other property damage, according to the news release.

On Old SR 37, The B Square talked to Zoey Gray, who lives in a trailer a little bit north of the Economy Inn, which sustained heavy damage. Gray's trailer survived intact. "That's way too close to comfort. I think my luck's shot for a while," Gray said.

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