A storm that blew through Henderson County Tuesday night toppled trees, snapped power lines and interrupted electrical service for about 1,600 Athens area Oncor customers.
No injuries were reported in the county due to the storm. Earlier Tuesday, a tornado in Lone Grove, Okla., killed eight and accounted for dozens of injuries.
Shortly before midnight, the Athens Police Department began to get reports of security alarms being set off in the city. A check led police to believe the alarms had been set off by high winds. By midnight, many in the city were without power.
Oncor District Manager Brenda Walker said crews were busy trying to restore lights to about 100 customers still without service Wednesday morning.
“In Henderson County there were a lot of trees that were off the right-of-way that pulled lines down,” Walker said. “There was also wind damage to equipment like broken poles and cross arms. Unfortunately, with a utility service, high winds and storms can really wreak havoc.”
Walker said Oncor tries to respond to widespread outages in the most efficient manner possible, making repairs that will get large numbers of customers back on line first, then going to the more remote areas.
Nick Hampshire of the National Weather Service said the Henderson County storm was part of a squall line that spawned thunderstorms throughout the region. Henderson County was placed under a severe thunderstorm warning. At 10:24 p.m., all volunteer fire departments in the county were notified of the severe weather alert and storm sirens were sounded.
Henderson County Pct. 4 Commissioner Jerry West said his precinct was probably hit the hardest. At about 12:30 his crew deployed to clear trees east of LaRue. Later, Pct. 4 workers went to clear trees that fell in the vicinity of Farm-to-Market Road 315. Many large pine trees were lost in the storm, West said.
“Bunches of trees fell down and there was lots of damage,” West said. “We had them cleared off the roads at about 5:30 a.m.
West said he had gotten more reports of downed trees after daylight Wednesday.
“That kind of damage is not going to be widespread everywhere,” Hampshire said. “There there will be pockets of high winds.”
The winds may have reached 60 to 70 miles per hour on the county’s southeast end, Hampshire said.
Homepage
Related Photos
-
Jayson Larson/Athens Review
Discussion
BREAKING NEWS: Storm leaves some damage in its wake
- In the News
-
-
10 most romantic hotels in the U.S.
Valentine’s Day will be here soon, and a romantic getaway may be just what the heart needs. TripAdvisor has released its list of the 10 most romantic hotels in the country, based on travelers’ reviews about the beautiful scenery, friendly staffs and romantic amenities like hot tubs and fireplaces.
-
- Local News
-
-
Downed airplane located
The Henderson County Sheriff's Office and Texas Department of Public Safety Game Wardens assisted in locating an plane that went down in Lake Palestine early Thursday. The Department of Public Safety is investigating the crash.
- City hears presentation for new apartment complex
- Coaches tell Kiwanis about programs
- Adams addresses Chamber
- Athens Hornet now flying Hornets
-
Downed airplane located
- Sports
-
-
HIGH SCHOOL SOCCER: Mabank’s Norman to play soccer at SFA
Senior Ashton Norman has signed a National Letter of Intent to play soccer at Stephen F. Austin State University in Nacogdoches.
- JUNIOR COLLEGE BASKETBALL: National tournament court to be named for Budke
- JUNIOR COLLEGE BASKETBALL: TVCC earns split (w/box scores)
- HIGH SCHOOL SOCCER: Alone, and loving it
- HIGH SCHOOL BASKETBALL ROUNDUP: Behan, Hornets dump Chapel Hill
-
- Opinion
-
-
Again bowled over by canine chaos on Super Sunday
The Super Bowl is now in our rear view mirror, and I’ve had to deal with the fact that football season is finally over.
Men and women in shorts are now running around with a round ball. They’ll be dominating the sports calander for the next couple of months. We’re just a few weeks away from March Madness, and after that, the NBA playoffs. - If it sounds too good to be true, it most likely is
- Tis a matter of the bladder — the screaming bladder
- The Joe Pa story teaches us an old, old lesson
- I can’t understand the remarks of one online columnist
-
Raw Video: Italy's Mount Etna Bursts Into Life
Greeks March; Angry Despite Debt Deal
Raw Video: U.S. Pullout Celebration
Raw Video: Annual Empire State Building Run-Up
Man Killed in Courthouse Shootout
Video of Ga. Man Who Killed Girl Released
Air Force Airlines: Leaders Get Polished Service
Ga Girl Fights Off Kidnapper at Walmart
Nevada Highway Patrol, City Settle Beating Case
Homs Bombardment Continues, Global Outcry Grows
Raw Video: Dog Rescued From Icy Colo. Water
Skip the Coffee Cup and Inhale Your Caffeine Fix
