- Trees fell over and roofs were torn off.
- Wednesday evening, power outages reached 400,000
- Parts of I-70 and other highways were closed.
High winds from a storm system in Iowa are causing the death of a semitrailer truck driver in Iowa. Wind gusts of over 90 mph were recorded Wednesday night. Tornadoes rolled across the Plains, Midwest, and Midwest, with tornadoes that destroyed roofs, ignited wildfires, and left hundreds of thousands without power.
The truck was rolled onto its side by high winds on Wednesday evening in eastern Iowa, killing the driver, according to The Associated Press.
In some areas, gusts of up 100 mph were recorded.
High wind warnings were issued across a vast area of the country, New Mexico to Michigan. It affected about one in 10 Americans and approximately 20% of the land surface of the Lower 48 States, according to Jonathan Erdman, senior meteorologist.
(FORECAST: Severe Weather Possible Tomorrow Night Into Thursday)
Here’s a summary of what happened:
Power outages top 400,000
According to poweroutage.us., there were more than 122,000 homes without electricity in Iowa, and approximately 114,000 in Kansas.
Colorado reported over 66,000 outages; Missouri reported about 63,000; Nebraska reported 18,000; and Minnesota reported 17,000 outages.
Most of the power outages that occurred in Texas and New Mexico earlier were resolved.
Airport Control Tower Evacuated in Kansas City
At 5:50 PM CST, the air traffic control tower of Kansas City International Airport was evacuated.
“KCI Airport can be found at ‘Air Traffic Control (ATC) Zero“,'” a tweet from the airport’s Twitter account stated. “For their safety FAA personnel in the tower were evacuated. This means that there is no Air Traffic Control available at the airport. There will be delays and diversions. You should allow 1 hour.
A follow-up tweet was sent at 6:36 p.m. CST to confirm that staff had returnedTo the tower, and flights would resume when runways were cleared of debris.
Up to 100 MPH blow off roofs
Here are some notable reports from Wednesday night’s National Weather Service regarding hail, high winds and other damage:
Sterling, Nebraska: Large trees removed, roofs torn off outbuildings.
Near Emporia, Kansas: Softball-size hail reported (4 inches diameter).
Near Boys Town in Nebraska: Roof removed from home.
Russell, Kansas: Roof blown off; measured gust of 100 mph
Ellinwood, Kansas: Roof torn off.
Norton, Kansas: Partially collapsed two-story building
Pawnee City in Nebraska: Many structural damage, roof damage and carports damaged.
Hampton, Nebraska: Main Street windows blown out of vehicles
Aurora, Nebraska: Stadium bleachers overturned, some structural damage.
Junction City, Kansas: Damage to hangars at Junction City Airport due to metal signs being bent or siding off buildings
Colorado Fire Department receives more than 600 calls for service
The Colorado Springs Fire Department was awarded 635 callsService will take five hours. Incidents ranged in severity from fires to downed powerlines and trees to roof damage – at their headquarters.
Nebraska: Damage to Homes and Businesses
Platte County, 75 miles west from Omaha, saw a home damaged. Damage was also reported in Johnson County, in the southeast corner of Nebraska, and in other areas.
According to the NWS, there was hail and a tornado in Platte County.
Omaha Tornado Sirens Heard
Wind-related Crash Causes Driver to be Ejected
Missouri winds caused a truck to roll over, injuring its driver and causing debris to be spread along the roadside.
Evacuations required in Texas Wildfire
High winds in the Oklahoma Panhandle fueled a wildfire. Guymon, Oklahoma residents were urged by the authorities to evacuate.
Tree Crushes Cars at Wichita
There were reports of power lines and trees being downed from many locations, including this one in Wichita.
High Wind Warning Here’s how to prepare
Although high winds may not attract the same attention that hurricanes or tornadoes deserve, they can be dangerous.
They can happen in severe thunderstorms, with strong low-pressure system, or even on a sunny morning.
High winds can cause power loss, trees to fall, and roof damage in rare cases.
The National Weather Service, (NWS), issues high wind warnings and watches when these potentially destructive winds are either probable or expected.
These are some tips to remember when high winds are threatening.
Tree Falls on House in Denver
Another tree blocked the road and residents were reminded not to touch down on power lines.
Home Blown Off Trailer South Dakota
A manufactured home came off its trailerHigh winds and low visibility on Highway 44 east from Farmingdale,
Kansas Closes a Portion of Interstate 70
I-70 in Western Kansas was closedAccording to the Kansas Highway Patrol, it is possible to travel in both directions from Hays to Colorado State Line.
It’s about 160 miles.
Hays is the next destination for the second wave of dust and winds. “Reports of windows blowing out in Wakeeney,” a KHP trooper stated in a tweet at 1:15 p.m. CT. “PLEASE DELAY YOUR TRAVEL UNTIL THESE PASSES!”
Airport Delays: They Add Up
According to FlightAware, close to 500 flights were delayed and 131 cancelled at Denver International Airport around 12:15 PM MST.
Colorado Highways Shut down or Restricted
Highway 50 in southeastern Colorado was closed as of about noon from Las Animas to Lamar – about 38 miles – according to the Colorado State Patrol.
All commercial vehicles travelling southbound on Interstate 25 were prohibited at Monument Hill’s milepost 63.
Tens of thousands of power outages
According to poweroutage.us., about 60,000 homes or businesses in areas affected by high winds were without power at 1:30 p.m. EST. The majority of them were located in Colorado (33.669), New Mexico (15.268), and Texas (11.747).
California was still experiencing around 30,000 power outages on Tuesday and overnight.
Wind blows snow and dust
Don Steerman posted the video to Twitter. He claimed he was working in Lamar in southeastern Colorado near the Kansas state line. The scene looked like a wildfire. The skies were transformed by wind, which blew snow and dust. orange.
Similar images dustColorado Springs shared the windstorm.
California Flooding and Mudslides
Crews worked in many areas to clear roads from debris, jackknifed truck and other hazards following the storm system’s heavy rains and snowfall in Southern California.
Some areas received 9 to 10 inches of rainfall, while others got several feet of fresh snow.
Because of the treacherous weather conditions, chains were needed in many areas.
(MORE: Winter Storm Bankston Causes Winds, Snow, and Rain to Flood Plains, Midwest)
Crews from California’s Department of Transportation worked late Tuesday night in removing jackknifed trucks off State Route 58 at Tehachapi Pass. It is located about 70 miles north of Los Angeles. Caltrans District 9 shared a photo showing traffic. backed upDriving on a snowy highway.
A portion of Interstate 80 in Truckee was also closed due to whiteout conditions, leaving many drivers stranded.
Firefighters at Silverado Canyon, southeast Los Angeles rescuedPeople were trapped in their homes Tuesday afternoon after water and mud covered roads in areas where the Bond Fire had burned earlier in the year.
There were evacuation orders in effect.
There were no injuries or major damage to homes reported, and evacuation orders were lifted late Tuesday evening.
Los Angeles: At least two vehicles were caught against a bridge over the Los Angeles River. They were believed to be empty.
Click here for more information on Tuesday’s events in California
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Source: Weather.com
