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Tag: May 17 storm outage

UDWI REMC Community Fund Grant Donated $5,000 For Disaster/Tornado Relief To Local Residents

Written by Brooke Porter on . Posted in UDWI News. No Comments on UDWI REMC Community Fund Grant Donated $5,000 For Disaster/Tornado Relief To Local Residents

BLOOMFIELD, Ind. (June 06, 2025)— The UDWI REMC Community Fund, Inc. donated $5,000 in disaster relief funds to the American Red Cross, providing relief to local Monroe and Greene County residents affected by the tornado and severe storms that swept through the area on May 16. 

The American Red Cross was founded in 1881 with the mission to prevent and alleviate human suffering in the face of emergencies by mobilizing the power of volunteers and generosity of donors.  As a nonprofit humanitarian organization, they provide disaster relief, disaster preparedness education, and other services in the United States.

The two local Red Cross locations that provided relief for the May 16 tornado/storm disasters were the following: United Way of South Central Indiana, or United Way, (Monroe County) at 431 S. College Avenue, Bloomington, IN 47403 and the Linton First Christian Church (Greene County) at 9878 W. State Rd 54, Linton, IN 47441. As local organizations, United Way and Linton First Christian Church often partner with nonprofits, such as the American Red Cross of Southeast Indiana, to support their local communities in Monroe and Greene Counties.

“We know disaster recovery doesn’t happen overnight,” said Michelle Ellis, a United Way Board Member and Director of Training Programs at Wagler Education and Training Center. Ellis continued to describe how United Way was able to help provide local disaster relief in Monroe County, saying “But with the strength of our community and the support of donors and partners, we can help ensure that no one has to face recovery alone.”

According to the Indiana Red Cross website, in April 2025, Red Cross volunteers and disaster responders assisted 760 households in Indiana affected by severe weather, including tornadoes and flooding. Their support included the distribution of more than 7,700 meals and snacks, 3,000 relief items, and the provision of 200 overnight stays across seven emergency shelters. The American Red Cross also extended aid to thousands more throughout the Midwest and the entire nation.

As a whole, the American Red Cross has provided lifesaving aid to more than 229 million people worldwide. In the United States alone, they responded to over 60,000 disasters in 2024, offering critical support to individuals and communities impacted by major disasters such as earthquakes, wildfires, tornadoes, and hurricanes. 

The UDWI REMC Community Fund, Inc. allows cooperative members to give back to their communities by rounding up to the nearest whole dollar on their electric bills. The money accumulated is poured right back into local communities by awarding grants to various organizations. 

The latest round of UDWI REMC Community Fund grant recipients included: Autism Rocks and Rolls Corporation, Bloomfield Elementary PTO, Eastern Greene Fire Territory, Franklin Township Community Volunteer Fire Department, Inc., God’s Hands In Action, Healthy Hearts WRV, Lawrence County Cancer Patient Services, Linton-Stockton School Corporation, Metropolitan School District of Shakamak, Teachers Warehouse, Inc., Valley Mission Church of the Nazarene, and Teachers Warehouse.

To learn more about the American Red Cross, including how to volunteer, donate, and support, visit www.redcross.org, call 1(800)733-2767, or follow them on Facebook. 

The UDWI REMC Community Fund, Inc. is now accepting applications for its next grant cycle. All nonprofit businesses in UDWI REMC’s service area are encouraged to apply.

UDWI REMC Provides Update on Storm Restoration 

Written by Brooke Porter on . Posted in UDWI News. No Comments on UDWI REMC Provides Update on Storm Restoration 

Utilities District of Western Indiana REMC would like to thank members for their patience as we work to assess damages and restore power as a result of yesterday’s storm that affected nearly 9,000 members. We believe two separate tornados also touched down in our service territory during the storm, causing significant infrastructure loss in some areas.

“Our crews are onsite, seeing the damage and the homes and properties that are completely devastated. Some of our members have lost everything, and many have extensive damage that may not allow them to return to their homes,” said Doug Childs, UDWI REMC CEO. “Our hearts and prayers are with our members, and we ask that everyone be safe and, if you are able, lend a hand to those in need.”

As of mid-day Saturday, May 17, we have restored power for a majority of our members, but around 1,000 members remain without power, and it is likely that repairs for those hardest hit areas will extend into the next several days.

Lineman crews will need to rebuild infrastructure, reset poles, and hang new lines before power can be restored. Due to the severity of the damage, we do not have estimated restoration times but will provide updates as they become available. Please know we are working hard to get all members’ power restored as quickly as possible while keeping our crews safe.

Areas most impacted include:

Monroe County

  • Ison Rd– Infrastructure destroyed (extensive damage to homes and property)
  • Harmony Rd – several broken poles

Greene Co

  • County Road W 325 N– Infrastructure destroyed (extensive damage to homes and property)
  • County Road N 475 W – several broken poles
  • County Road W 295 N – several broken poles
  • County Road n 900 W – several broken poles
  • County Road W 150 N – several broken poles

Our line crews worked through the night, and we have called in outside assistance from other co-ops and contractors. We thank those outside crews for their willingness to help as our crews have worked through the night and continue to be in the field.

“We are proud of the phenomenal job our team has done in the face of this damage, restoring power to thousands of members so far. Much of the damage that’s remaining is catastrophic, but our employees, contractors, and cooperative neighbors will be working tirelessly to restore power to everyone,” said UDWI REMC Chief Operating Officer, Shane Smith. “Our dispatch and engineering teams have remained on duty since the onset of the storm and will continue working with our members and helping guide our line crews as we navigate the next several days.”

Members can report an outage by calling the UDWI office (812-384-4446), using the UDWI app (UDWI REMC in the App Store and Google Play Store), or via UDWI’s texting service (please visit the outage hub on our website to learn more). Social media continues to be monitored, and we will post updates as they become available. Please know we are seeing and hearing your inquiries, however, due to the volume we may not be able to respond to all messages or comments immediately. 

We share in your frustration as our employees, line crews, their families and our entire community feel the impact of this storm and many of us are still without power as well. Thank you again for your patience and understanding, and please be safe!