Severe thunderstorms roll through Indianapolis area

Heaters are blown over outside the Tinker Street Restaurant & Wine Bar on 16th Street during a stormy weather in Indianapolis on Saturday, Nov. 18, 2017.

Severe thunderstorms caused some power outages and wind damage in Indianapolis-area communities Saturday.

Some communities also closed roads because of flooding.

Indianapolis Power & Light Co. reported that 5,100 customers in its service area were without power, as of Saturday afternoon. It advised anyone who encounters a downed line to call (317) 261-8111 or report it online at iplpower.com/outages

Duke Energy said Saturday that it had nearly 2,500 Indiana customers without power.

The National Weather Service in Indianapolis issued a severe thunderstorm watch until 6 p.m. Saturday in 12 Central Indiana counties, including Boone, Hamilton, Hancock, Hendricks, Marion, Johnson and Shelbys.

The weather advisory said there is a risk of isolated severe storms from midday through late afternoon, including heavy amounts of rain, damaging winds and possibly large hail. 

The strongest wind gusts are expected between 4 and 8 p.m. Sustained winds of around 25 to 30 mph with gusts of 45 to 50 mph are possible, the Weather Service is warning.

Such high winds could make driving difficult as well as cause broken tree limbs and downed power lines.

A flood warning also has been issued for Boone, Delaware, Marion, Hancock, Hamilton, Hendricks and Madison counties.

Motorists were advised to "turn around, don't drown," when encountering flooded roads.

Star reporter Robert King contributed to this story.

Call IndyStar digital producer Dwight Adams at (317) 444-6532. Follow him on Twitter: @hdwightadams.