Spring Break
Winds knock out power to thousands on East Coast
Polly Anderson The Associated Press
Issue date: 2/13/09 Section: News
A 35-year-old truck driver also died Wednesday night near Columbus, Ohio, when wind knocked a semitrailer into his truck. Police said three other semitrailers were knocked over by wind Wednesday night, injuring one of the drivers.
Wind also was believed to be a factor in the death of a 59-year-old New York City construction worker who was killed when a wall collapsed, officials said.
A downed power line forced the closure of Interstate 90 west of Erie, Pa., for three hours on Thursday morning. The wind also disrupted the morning rail commute in the New York City area, and four people were hurt, apparently by flying glass, when the wind blew a crossing gate into a Long Island Rail Road train.
The National Weather Service reported a wind gust of 92 mph in Allegheny County in Pennsylvania, but said most gusts in the region were no greater than 60 mph.
In Kentucky, devastated by a crippling ice storm two week ago, Public Service Commission spokesman Andrew Melnykovych said the wind caused at least 150,000 outages Wednesday. About 55,000 customers remained without power Thursday afternoon.
A 35-year-old utility worker from Minnesota fell 30 feet to his death Thursday while helping repair crews restore power in Kentucky.
Some 25 to 30 Kentucky National Guard members were assigned to help clean up debris, a Guard spokesman said. Most of the new outages were in the southeastern part of the state, while the ice storm mostly affected western Kentucky.
Power outages were also reported in Tennessee, Indiana, New York, North Carolina, Virginia, Delaware and Maryland.
About 200 people in Allegheny County, Pa., were evacuated from homes and an assisted-living center late Wednesday because of a storm-related gas leak. They were allowed to return early Thursday.
The strong wind blew a roof off a building in West York, Pa., and several roads were shut down while the debris was cleaned up.
Schools were closed outright in some areas, including Buffalo, N.Y., and at least two dozen counties in West Virginia, where Gov. Joe Manchin authorized National Guard troops to help clean up after severe thunderstorms struck the state. Other schools opened late.
Wind also was believed to be a factor in the death of a 59-year-old New York City construction worker who was killed when a wall collapsed, officials said.
A downed power line forced the closure of Interstate 90 west of Erie, Pa., for three hours on Thursday morning. The wind also disrupted the morning rail commute in the New York City area, and four people were hurt, apparently by flying glass, when the wind blew a crossing gate into a Long Island Rail Road train.
The National Weather Service reported a wind gust of 92 mph in Allegheny County in Pennsylvania, but said most gusts in the region were no greater than 60 mph.
In Kentucky, devastated by a crippling ice storm two week ago, Public Service Commission spokesman Andrew Melnykovych said the wind caused at least 150,000 outages Wednesday. About 55,000 customers remained without power Thursday afternoon.
A 35-year-old utility worker from Minnesota fell 30 feet to his death Thursday while helping repair crews restore power in Kentucky.
Some 25 to 30 Kentucky National Guard members were assigned to help clean up debris, a Guard spokesman said. Most of the new outages were in the southeastern part of the state, while the ice storm mostly affected western Kentucky.
Power outages were also reported in Tennessee, Indiana, New York, North Carolina, Virginia, Delaware and Maryland.
About 200 people in Allegheny County, Pa., were evacuated from homes and an assisted-living center late Wednesday because of a storm-related gas leak. They were allowed to return early Thursday.
The strong wind blew a roof off a building in West York, Pa., and several roads were shut down while the debris was cleaned up.
Schools were closed outright in some areas, including Buffalo, N.Y., and at least two dozen counties in West Virginia, where Gov. Joe Manchin authorized National Guard troops to help clean up after severe thunderstorms struck the state. Other schools opened late.
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