Monday
Apr162007
High Winds Cut Power, Delay Schools
Monday, April 16, 2007 at 8:43AM High winds are causing a number of problems around Wilkes today. The first is with school delays, Wilkes county schools are running on a two-hour delay this morning. Dr. Steven Laws, the Superintendent of Schools, told 3WC News earlier this morning the delay is because of the numerous power outages throughout the county caused by the high winds. BROC and Head Start are also on a two-hour delay.
Concerning the high winds...they are expected to continue through much of the day. The National Weather Service has a high wind warning in effect through noon. As we have experienced since evening, high winds will continue to maintain above 30-45 miles an hour, with gusts above 70 at times, according to the weather service. Those winds are more than enough, especially with the soft wet soil, to knock over large trees, down branches, and pull down power lines. Of course, it gets worse the higher you go in elevation, and in the gaps between the mountains.
Weather service and Highway Patrol officials advise extreme caution driving high profile vehicles. That includes the family van or SUV, aws well as pickups, campers, semi trucks and box trucks. The wind will make driving hazardous because it whips vehicles around and incereases the suciton effect when large vehicles pass. In addition, falling branches can obsturuct roads, especially secondary routes.
Several thousand people have been reported to be without power at times through this wind storm. Duke Energy reports more than one thousand people without power currently in the areas north and west of the Wilkesboros, and scattered outages through the rest of the county.
Concerning the high winds...they are expected to continue through much of the day. The National Weather Service has a high wind warning in effect through noon. As we have experienced since evening, high winds will continue to maintain above 30-45 miles an hour, with gusts above 70 at times, according to the weather service. Those winds are more than enough, especially with the soft wet soil, to knock over large trees, down branches, and pull down power lines. Of course, it gets worse the higher you go in elevation, and in the gaps between the mountains.
Weather service and Highway Patrol officials advise extreme caution driving high profile vehicles. That includes the family van or SUV, aws well as pickups, campers, semi trucks and box trucks. The wind will make driving hazardous because it whips vehicles around and incereases the suciton effect when large vehicles pass. In addition, falling branches can obsturuct roads, especially secondary routes.
Several thousand people have been reported to be without power at times through this wind storm. Duke Energy reports more than one thousand people without power currently in the areas north and west of the Wilkesboros, and scattered outages through the rest of the county.
Reader Comments