LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Storms moved through southern Indiana leaving a trail of twisted trees, downed power lines and homes without power. 

Utility crews fanned out across the area Thursday morning after daylight, to start assessing damage from Wednesday night's storms that spawned at least one tornado. 

The National Weather Service confirmed that an EF-0 tornado touched down in Lawrence County, near Bedford, just before 11 p.m. Wednesday. With 80 mph winds, the tornado was on the ground for .06 miles and damaged a pole barn near state Road 446, leaving only one exterior wall standing.

Barricades were quickly set up near the Floyd County 4-H Fairgrounds, as Duke Energy started working on repairing nearly a dozen utility poles. 

The Floyd County Emergency Services director told WDRB that Green Valley Road in New Albany was likely one of the worst hit areas. That's where wide sections of toppled power poles were tangled into supply lines for a metal transformer. 

Many of those downed power lines were in the yard of homeowner Georgia Gibbons. She said she and her dog rode out the storm in a closet. 

"I didn't sleep. Believe me, you couldn't sleep. But it lit up. That's why I went in the closet. It was like the whole house lit up, and then nothing," she said. 

By midday, Duke Energy outage map showed 4,000 still without power in Floyd and Clark counties. At the height of the storm, more than 30,000 were without power in southern Indiana.  

With more storms in the forecast through the weekend, the National Weather Service in Louisville said it would not have any meteorologists on the ground in southern Indiana for damage surveys until at least Sunday or Monday. It may be days before residents know if the damage was from a tornado or straight line winds. 

Duke Energy was working on the area of Green Valley Road Thursday morning.

Indiana Gov. Mike Braun has activated the National Guard in at least 41 counties to help with damage assessments and recovery.

"Hoosier Guardsmen always answer the call to serve our state and our nation," Braun said in a written statement. "In times like these, I’m immensely grateful for the soldiers who are on the ground ensuring Hoosier safety."

Do you have damage photos or videos from the storm? Post them to the WDRB News Facebook page, or email them to webteam@wdrb.com.

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