By HEATHER PYLES, CJ Staff Writer
Yesterday’s storm blew through the area within an hour, but it stayed around long enough to cause some damage across the county.
The storm entered Pulaski County around 3 p.m. Wednesday, and reports were soon coming into emergency services about downed trees and various types of debris blocking roadways, and there was even one report of a roof being blown off a local business.
The roof of Curt Davis Law Office, a local business located on South U.S. 27, was blown off by the force of the winds. The large metal sheet reportedly flew across four lanes of traffic on U.S. 27, luckily missing any vehicles, before coming to a rest in the Somerset Florist lot.
No one was injured.
The roof of the Tobacco Warehouse, located on University Drive, was also damaged during the storm.
Pulaski County Sheriff Todd Wood said his department received a report of a vacant mobile home being blown into the roadway on Ky. 769 near Rush Branch Road. That report came in shortly before 4 p.m.
“It was a shell of a mobile home that was picked up and blown into the road,” Wood said.
Wood said emergency crews worked quickly to clear the roadway, and he said no vehicles were damaged during the incident.
High wind gusts were reported across the county.
The Lake Cumberland Regional Airport recorded a 60 m.p.h. wind gust — about the average for the entire state.
“The highest wind gust we’ve heard of so far is 71 m.p.h., just east of Prestonsburg,” said Jackson Weather Service meteorologist Tony Edwards.
Wood said the sheriff’s department — among other emergency responders — stayed busy throughout the afternoon as they worked to clear several areas in the county of debris.
“We didn’t really have anything reported ... outside of isolated incidents,” Wood said.
Despite the seriousness of the storm, rainfall amounts were surprisingly low, thanks to the speed at which the storm was traveling, Edwards said.
“Morehead got the most rain,” he said, “but most areas got about a fourth of an inch.”
As of late Wednesday evening, emergency personnel were still working in several areas across the county to clear smaller roadways blocked by downed trees.
Edwards said the Jackson Weather Service was still receiving reports of damage from across the state yesterday evening.
“There are widespread reports of trees down,” he said.
No widespread power outages were reported as of Wednesday afternoon.
Wood said Pulaski County seemed to have been spared from receiving the more severe aspects of the storm.
“Once again, the people of Pulaski County have been very fortunate,” he said.
Strong winds were expected to continue into late Wednesday evening.
CJ Staff Writer Tricia Neal contributed to this article.
