Wind damage cleanup underway across area

CLEANUP IS UNDERWAY THIS WEEKEND AFTER HIGH WINDS LEFT DAMAGE ACROSS MIDDLE TENNESSEE AND NORTH ALABAMA FRIDAY. IN LAWRENCE COUNTY, STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS ARE SAID TO BE THE CAUSE OF WIDESPREAD DAMAGE. ACCORDING TO EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT OFFICIALS, MOST OF THE DAMAGE HAPPENED ABOUT AN HOUR AFTER A SQUALL LINE CROSSED THROUGH THE COUNTY AT 11 AM FRIDAY. THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAD ISSUED A RARE HIGH WIND WARNING FOR FRIDAY DUE TO NON-STORM RELATED STRAIGHT LINE WINDS FOR ALL OF MIDDLE TENNESSEE. WIND GUSTS BETWEEN 50 AND 70 MILES PER HOUR WERE RECORDED BY THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE. SEVERAL STRUCTURES SUSTAINED DAMAGE IN LAWRENCE COUNTY, INCLUDING TWO COMMERCIAL BUILDING ROOFS ON NORTH LOCUST AVENUE AT WEAKLEY CREEK ROAD. THERE WERE REPORTS OF DOWNED TREES, BROKEN WINDOWS AND OTHER DAMAGE THROUGHOUT THE COUNTY. SEVERAL ROADS WERE BLOCKED BY FALLING TREES AND POWER LINES. THE WINDS WERE BLAMED FOR POWER OUTAGES ACROSS THE AREA. NEARLY 9,000 LAWRENCEBURG UTILITY SYSTEM CUSTOMERS WERE REPORTED TO BE WITHOUT POWER AT ONE POINT. CREWS WORKED THROUGHOUT THE EVENING TO CONTINUE RESTORING POWER TO BUSINESSES AND RESIDENCES. AS OF SATURDAY MORNING, LUS REPORTED 123 CUSTOMERS REMAINED WITHOUT SERVICE WITH WORK CONTINUING. POWER CREWS WITH PULASKI ELECTRIC SERVICE REMAINED AT WORK SATURDAY MONING TO RESTORE POWER LOST IN THE WINDS. MORE THAN THREE THOUSAND CUSTOMERS WERE WITHOUT POWER AT ONE TIME IN GILES COUNTY. AMONG THE DAMAGE IN GILES COUNTY, WERE EIGHT POWER POLES IN KATHLEEN DRIVE IN PULASKI.

THE WINDS THAT BLEW THROUGH MIDDLE TENNESSEE AND NORTH ALABAMA FRIDAY RESULTED IN SEVERAL DEATHS. REPORTS FROM FLORENCE INDICATE THAT A LEXINGTON MAN DIED WHEN A TREE FELL ON HIM FRIDAY. A MAN DRIVING A VEHICLE WAS KILLED IN HUMPREYS COUNTY WHEN A TREE FELL ON THE VEHICLE. AND A HENDERSONVILLE WOMAN DIED FRIDAY NIGHT WHEN A TREE FELL ON HER WHILE SHE WAS WALKING OUTSIDE.

storm damage