Jim Martin was alone watching TV when he received a tornado warning around 7 p.m. Thursday. About 15 minutes later, that storm reached his Monroe County home, bringing hail, rain and wind.

“To the point where you really couldn't see what's going on,” Martin said. “Stuff's just flashing by the house sideways. Decided that's a good time to go into a nice secure spot and just wait it out.”

With winds up to 70 miles an hour, the storm hit the west side of Bloomington hardest. The National Weather Service on Friday confirmed it was a tornado. Sullivan County also had a tornado.

Friday morning, Martin began sawing off and piling smaller branches, but he said he’ll have to call a contractor for larger fallen trees. It’s a similar situation for other west side homes and businesses.

About 2,000 people lost electricity. Despite the damage, local police say there were no deaths or injuries from the storm.

Steve Robertson works for the city’s utilities department. He’s in charge of a couple of lift stations. Both lost power, so around 11 p.m. Thursday he was out making sure the generator backup was working.

"The transformers are laying in the middle of the road so there is no power,” Robertson said.

A Fifth Third Bank on West Third street lost a section of its roof and sustained heavy damage. At least a couple dozen homes in the Stonechase and Fieldstone neighborhoods off West Third were damaged.

At the nearby Kia dealership some vehicles were damaged by debris. The Monroe County Humane Association campus was hit by the storm. Its executive director said all the animals are safe.

Traffic lights were out all over the west side. First responders asked people to stay off the roads so crews could continue recovery efforts.

Pea size to ping pong ball size hail and strong winds were reported.