LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Thousands of homes remain without power in Kentuckiana after severe weather Wednesday evening.
Storms, with strong wind gusts and heavy rain, started rolling into the WDRB viewing area - hitting the Louisville area between 4-6 p.m.
Pictured: this image dated April 5, 2023, shows a toppled statue on Gardiner Lane depicting a Kosair Shriner holding a young child in his arms. The statue, called a "Silent Messenger," was damaged as severe storms moved through the Newburg neighborhood. It was erected by Kosair for Kids in front of Big Brothers Big Sisters Kentuckiana and pays tribute to Kosair's founding by Shriners in 1923 to help all children live life to the fullest. The statue will be replaced. (WDRB photo/Katrina Nickell)
Pictured: this image dated April 6, 2023, shows Project Manager Mark Lichtefeld pointing to debris after a concrete wall of the warehouse he built on Robards Lane near Gardiner Lane in Louisville, Ky., was toppled as storms moved through the area on April 5, 2023. (WDRB/Jailen Leavell)
IMAGES | Wind and weather damage from April 5, 2023 storms
Powerful storms packing damaging straight line winds moved through Kentuckiana on April 6, uprooting trees and snapping utility poles. At least one tornado was confirmed.Â
Pictured: this image dated April 5, 2023, shows a toppled statue on Gardiner Lane depicting a Kosair Shriner holding a young child in his arms. The statue, called a "Silent Messenger," was damaged as severe storms moved through the Newburg neighborhood. It was erected by Kosair for Kids in front of Big Brothers Big Sisters Kentuckiana and pays tribute to Kosair's founding by Shriners in 1923 to help all children live life to the fullest. The statue will be replaced. (WDRB photo/Katrina Nickell)
Pictured: this image dated April 6, 2023, shows scattered debris near a warehouse entrance at a building damaged by storm on Robards Lane near Gardiner Lane in Louisville, Ky., as storms moved through the area on April 5, 2023. (WDRB/Jailen Leavell)
Pictured: this image dated April 6, 2023, shows Project Manager Mark Lichtefeld pointing to debris after a concrete wall of the warehouse he built on Robards Lane near Gardiner Lane in Louisville, Ky., was toppled as storms moved through the area on April 5, 2023. (WDRB/Jailen Leavell)
Pictured: this image dated April 6, 2023, shows scattered debris near a warehouse entrance at a building damaged by storms on Robards Lane near Gardiner Lane in Louisville, Ky., as storms moved through the area on April 5, 2023. (WDRB/Jailen Leavell)
Pictured: this image dated April 6, 2023, shows a tarp on a warehouse entrance at a building damaged on Robards Lane near Gardiner Lane in Louisville, Ky., as storms moved through the area on April 5, 2023. (WDRB/Jailen Leavell)
Trees became uprooted in Okolona after severe storms on April 5, 2023. (Source: WDRB/Katrina Nickell)
A tree fell on a home in the area of Terrier and Heather Lane after severe storms on April 5, 2023.
A tree falls near a house on Sunny Vale Way from a severe storm on April 5, 2023. (Source: Allen Prunty)
The roof was heavily damaged from strong winds and fallen trees at apartments in the area of Brooklawn and Blanton on April 5, 2023 after severe storms. (Source: WDRB/Conroy DeLouche)
A tree falls near homes on Middale Lane from a severe storm on April 5, 2023. (Source: Ryan Jay)
A tree falls on a house in Louisville from a severe storm on April 5, 2023. (Source: William Zavorski)
A tree falls on a house off Taylorsville Road from a severe storm on April 5, 2023. (Source: Freya Denalta)
A tree falls in Clermont from a severe storm on April 5, 2023. (Source: Kerri Poteat)
Trees became uprooted in Okolona after severe storms on April 5, 2023. (Source: WDRB/Katrina Nickell)
A tree falls in Clermont from a severe storm on April 5, 2023. (Source: Kerri Poteat)
A tree fell on a home in the area of Alreva after severe storms on April 5, 2023. (Source: WDRB/Conroy DeLouche)
A tree falls in Corydon from a severe storm on April 5, 2023. (Source: Matt Vogel)
A tree falls on National Turnpike from a severe storm on April 5, 2023. (Source: Johnny Huerta)
A tree falls in Corydon from a severe storm on April 5, 2023. (Source: Matt Vogel)
A tree falls on National Turnpike from a severe storm on April 5, 2023. (Source: Johnny Huerta)
Heavy winds caused a tree to fall onto a home in Fairdale after severe storms on April 5, 2023. (Source: Erika)
Trees fell onto the roadway on Gagel Avenue after severe storms on April 5, 2023. (Source: WDRB/Dakota Sherek)
A turned over semi on Highway 60 from a severe storm on April 5, 2023. (Source: Kaitlynn Allen)
Trees became uprooted in Okolona after severe storms on April 5, 2023. (Source: WDRB/Katrina Nickell)
Heavy winds caused a tree to fall onto a home in Fairdale after severe storms on April 5, 2023. (Source: Erika)
A snapped flag pole from a severe storm on April 5, 2023. (Source: Georgieanna Belden)
Aftermath of damage in Corydon from a severe storm on April 5, 2023. (Source: Johnny Huerta)
The Morgan Building suffered major damage after severe storms on April 5, 2023. (Source: WDRB/Dakota Sherek)
Heavy winds destroyed a building on Robards Lane after severe storms on April 5, 2023. (Source: Mandy Hall)
Heavy winds caused a tree to fall onto a home on Terrier Lane and Heather Lane after severe storms on April 5, 2023. (Source: Erika)
Aftermath of damage in Jeffersontown from a severe storm on April 5, 2023. (Source: Johnny Huerta)
Heavy winds caused damage in Corydon after severe storms on April 5, 2023. (Source: Alan Stewart)
A tree was uprooted in the area of Bashford Manner after severe storms on April 5, 2023. (Source: WDRB/Katrina Nickell)
A PNC Bank was damaged from severe storms on April 5, 2023. (Source: WDRB/Katrina Nickell)
Heavy winds caused a tree to fall onto a home on Terrier Lane and Heather Lane after severe storms on April 5, 2023. (WDRB photo)
The Morgan Building suffered major damage after severe storms on April 5, 2023. (Source: WDRB/Dakota Sherek)
Aftermath of damage in Corydon from a severe storm on April 5, 2023. (Source: Angel Henderson)
A tree down at a home in the area of Fern Valley Road and Jeanine Drive in Louisville on Wednesday, April 5, 2023. (WDRB photo)
A tree down at a home in the area of Fern Valley Road and Jeanine Drive in Louisville on Wednesday, April 5, 2023. (WDRB photo)
Heavy winds caused damage in Corydon after severe storms on April 5, 2023. (Source: Alan Stewart)
At the height of the outages 17,130 homes were without power in Jefferson County, according to LG&E/KU's outage map. By 11 a.m. Thursday, the map showed 8,400. Many of the outages were outside of Interstate 264 and spanned from the Newburg area to Pleasure Ridge Park.Â
In southern Indiana, fewer than 400 homes were without power by Thursday morning, according to Duke Energy's outage map. Nearly all of those outages were reported near Salem, Indiana.Â
Power crews started preparing for Wednesday's storms ahead of time, ready to tackle any outages as soon as its safe to do so.
Duke Energy said crews can't go up in bucket trucks to make repairs if wind gusts were above 30 miles per hour. Duke crews fanned out across the region, ready to respond.
"When we're seeing a storm that we expect will have widespread outages across a large geographic area, we stage crews in all of our operations centers, which are located in different areas across the state so that they can be prepared to respond quickly," McKenzie Barbknecht, with Duke Energy, said.Â
LG&E said crews are keeping a close eye on the forecast, and will have all of its resources available and ready to go.Â
The utility company said severe weather has downed 4,500 wires and left 850 poles broken so far this year.
To monitor LG&E outages or to report an outage in Kentucky, click here.
To monitor Duke outages or to report an outage in Indiana, click here.
This is a developing story that will be updated as outages develop.
Copyright 2023 WDRB Media. All Rights Reserved.Â
