LES, Highway Department Busy As High Winds Sweep the Area

Crews were busy around the county clearing debris and working to restore power after high winds swept through the county, Friday, March 3rd. Lexington Electric System reported nearly 8,000 customers out of power at the peak of the event. The Henderson County Highway department received over 30 calls of roads being blocked due to down trees and power lines.
Photo Submitted / Lexington Progress
Article by Steve Corlew-
High winds caused issues throughout Henderson County on Friday, March 3rd, as wind gust as high as 62 mph swept through the county.
According to Lexington Electric System Manager Jeff Graves, nearly 8,000 customers lost power during the wind event. It took utility crews until Saturday to restore power due to the outages being scattered throughout the system.
LES also reported finding a cow electrocuted by a down power line and urges customers to stay away from any down power lines.
According to Drew Cook, Henderson County Emergency Management Director, said that while the National Weather Service estimated wind gust at 57 mph, McKellar-Sipes Regional Airport in Jackson and the Beech River Regional Airport in Darden measured wind gust as high as 62 mph.
“Most of the reports that were received were from downed trees and powerlines,” Cook said. “We have received a couple of reports of minor damage to homes, mostly missing shingles or underpinning blown in on…
For complete coverage, see the March 8th edition of The Lexington Progress.
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