4th UPDATE: 2 people found dead at McCormick's Creek State Park, conservation officers say
Late Saturday Indiana Conservation Officers released a statement that they are investigating after the bodies of two people, a Rossville couple, were found at the campground at McCormick's Creek State Park. Brett Kincaid, 52, and Wendy Kincaid, 47, were found after emergency responders were notified of two campers who were unaccounted for after storms hit the area Friday night. The news release states the incident is under investigation and more information will be released when it becomes available.
6 p.m. Saturday: More details from Monroe County
Justin Baker with Monroe County Emergency Management Agency said a temporary shelter and resource center has been set up in the former Stinesville elementary school for people who were affected by the storms that leveled homes along Wolf Mountain and County Line roads in the northwest part of Monroe County. He said five families were displaced.
The shelter and resource center will remain open as long as it is needed, White said, adding that some of the families may find shelter with friends or family but will still be able to come to the elementary school for food, water, other needs or information.
Anyone in Monroe County who has damage due to Friday's storms or information about the storms is asked to call 211 to report it. White said emergency officials will be doing damage assessments in the next few days.
While much of the debris left behind after the storms has been cleared, Baker said personnel will be working hard into next week to clear roads. He stressed that people need to be on the lookout for downed trees and power lines and turn around if they find them across the road and then report it.
"There are so many trees down and with the winds today, there are more trees that went down today," he said Saturday.
Baker encouraged anyone without power to report it to their electric provider, adding that Duke Energy and South Central Indiana REMC were out working to restore power.
1:20 p.m. Saturday: More details on McCormick's Creek State Park
Cris Lundsford with Owen County Emergency Management Services said trees had to be cut down to allow access to the McCormick's Creek State Park campgrounds to remove trees that had fallen over the roadway through the park.
Lundsford said around 50 people were in the campground when the storm hit Friday night. Those people were transported to the Canyon Inn by ambulance and a small Spencer-Owen School Corp. bus.
The campground was searched twice Friday night and once more Saturday morning, but today's search did not turn up any additional people in need of rescue. Lundsford said people sleeping in tents and RVs heard the outdoor warning siren and took shelter in a cement block bathhouse. Lundsford reported just one person had minor injuries.
More: Martinsville begins clean up after powerful storms sweep through city
10 a.m. Saturday: McCormick's Creek State Park 'devastated'
Emergency management officials were out overnight and into Saturday after a swath of storms, some with suspected tornadoes, tore through Indiana on Friday night and early Saturday.
In Owen County, a group of more than 20 emergency personnel were returning early Saturday to McCormick's Creek State Park near Spencer to do a more extensive search for people, according to Jack White with Owen County EMS.
"We have a daylight search crew searching the state park that was just devastated," White said, adding he and others didn't feel comfortable not going back after the search on Friday night, done in the dark.
White feels "extremely fortunate" that there were no fatalities in the state park. Several of the people camping there sought shelter in one of the park's bathhouses, which White said may have saved their lives since much of the campground area was reportedly "flattened."
More: How many tornadoes hit Indiana? Here's how National Weather Service confirms reports.
Friday night storms: 'Months if not years to recover': 3 killed in Sullivan County, hundreds of homes damaged
While White had not yet been out to the state park, he said everyone who came back talked about how bad it was.
Other areas of Owen County had trees down and many residents lost electricity. White said about half the town of Spencer remained without electricity as of about 9 a.m. Saturday.
Just across the county line in northwest Monroe County, emergency personnel were assessing damage along County Line Road and Wolf Mountain Road. Justin Baker with Monroe County Emergency Management Agency encouraged anyone without power to report it to their electric provider, adding that Duke Energy and South Central Indiana REMC were out working to restore power.
Baker requested that people stay away from County Line and Wolf Mountain roads to make it easier for emergency personnel. He expected to be out alongside other emergency personnel.
— Carol Kugler
More: 3 killed in Sullivan County from overnight storms
Earlier: Severe storms strike Owen County
The Indiana State Police reported a severe storm struck McCormick's Creek State Park late Friday night. Owen County Sheriff's Department, several Owen County Fire Departments, Owen County Emergency Services and Indiana Conservation Officers scoured the park for potentially injured campers spending the night at various camp sites.
People located in the park were evacuated with the help of Spencer-Owen County School Corporation buses. The Owen County Sheriff's Department reported on social media there were only minor injuries and the people evacuated from the park were shuttled to Canyon Inn.
Power outages affected many locations in Owen County, said Sheriff Ryan White, including Spencer and Gosport.
Lawrence and Monroe counties reported downed trees while Morgan County reported downed trees and power lines which included loss of power in Martinsville. High winds also caused severe damage to buildings in Martinsville.
Troopers continued their response to storm damage throughout the night.
Anyone who must travel Saturday morning should be aware of debris, downed power lines, clean up crews, and possible flooded areas. The Indiana State Police recommends exercising extreme caution and be prepared for storm damage throughout the Bloomington area.
This article originally appeared on The Herald-Times: 2 people found dead at McCormick's Creek State Park campground