Staff Reports
Gusts Nearing
90 MPH Topple Trees, Power Poles;
Homes Damaged
BY BILL JONES
STAFF WRITER
High winds, with gusts measured at nearly 90-mph at Camp Creek Elementary School, toppled trees and power lines and damaged residences on Friday afternoon across southern Greene County.
Bill Brown, director of the Greeneville-Greene County Office of Emergency Management and Homeland Security, said the Cedar Creek Road area through the St. James community was particularly hard-hit, with reports of a number of large trees and power lines down, roads blocked and shingles blown from a number of houses.
Brown said the damage appeared to extend into Cocke County's Long Creek community.
Along Cedar Creek Road there were many trees down in several locations, according to Greene County Road Superintendent David Weems.
Front-end loaders were used by Greene County Highway Department crews in several locations to clear fallen trees, Weems said.
Trees also were reported down on Allens Bridge Road, Ostrich Road, Old Newport Road. Pilot Knob Road and other southern Greene County roadways.
Justin Taylor, a resident of St. James Road, said he saw a parked refrigerated truck-trailer blown onto
its side along Church Hill Road.
Gusting winds also blew the roof from a mobile home along Pilot Knob Road and collapsed a barn owned by Jeff Coakley along Cedar Creek Road.
By about 4 p.m. most fallen trees had been cleared from county roads, but Greeneville Light & Power
System crews were still working to repair damaged power lines and broken power poles, according to Sheriff's Lt. Wesley Holt.
School Buses Delayed
Roads blocked by fallen trees also delayed at least one school bus from Nolachuckey Elementary
School taking children home from school.
"The main issue was down on the lower end of West Allens Bridge Road," said Nolachuckey principal Dr. Gerald Miller.
He said several Greeneville Light & Power System crews were working in that area, affecting county school bus No. 75, driven by Helen Tullock.
"We got word about 4:30 p.m. that she had delivered everyone safely," Miller said. Miller had sent an automated call telling parents of the possible delay in getting students home.
800 Customers Lose Power
Bill Carroll, GL&PS's general manager, said about 800 customers lost power at the peak of the Friday afternoon wind storm. He said the local electric utility lost a total of 11 utility poles with at least five of those located in the Cedar Creek area.
Lt. Holt, who also is chief of the St. James VFD, said shingle roofs on many houses in the St. James community were damaged.
Greene County Highway Department employees and Caney Branch VFD firefighters did a good job of clearing fallen trees from the affected roads, Holt said.
By about 4 p.m. winds had died down across southern Greene County, Holt said.
But about 5 p.m. GL&PS crews and CenturyLink telephone company employees were still working to
restore service interrupted by the wind damage.
A high-wind warning issued by the National Weather Service remained in effect until 9 p.m. Friday for southern Greene County.
In addition, those working to restore power and telephone service faced a new threat from rain and
snow that was predicted to fall overnight and into Saturday.
MSNOWFALL FORECAST
A winter weather advisory issued by the National Weather Service's Morristown office on Friday afternoon said it would remain in effect Saturday from 5 a.m. to 4 p.m.
"An upper low pressure system will move east across the region tonight," the advisory said. "The freezing level will slowly lower to near 1,700 feet overnight.
"Snowfall will likely be preceded by a period of rain and snow mix. The rain and snow mix may last for several hours across the lower elevations.
"Initial snowfall will likely melt. The freezing level will lower to below 1,000 feet across most areas on Saturday," the NWS said.
90 MPH Topple Trees, Power Poles;
Homes Damaged
BY BILL JONES
STAFF WRITER
High winds, with gusts measured at nearly 90-mph at Camp Creek Elementary School, toppled trees and power lines and damaged residences on Friday afternoon across southern Greene County.
Bill Brown, director of the Greeneville-Greene County Office of Emergency Management and Homeland Security, said the Cedar Creek Road area through the St. James community was particularly hard-hit, with reports of a number of large trees and power lines down, roads blocked and shingles blown from a number of houses.
Brown said the damage appeared to extend into Cocke County's Long Creek community.
Along Cedar Creek Road there were many trees down in several locations, according to Greene County Road Superintendent David Weems.
Front-end loaders were used by Greene County Highway Department crews in several locations to clear fallen trees, Weems said.
Trees also were reported down on Allens Bridge Road, Ostrich Road, Old Newport Road. Pilot Knob Road and other southern Greene County roadways.
Justin Taylor, a resident of St. James Road, said he saw a parked refrigerated truck-trailer blown onto
its side along Church Hill Road.
Gusting winds also blew the roof from a mobile home along Pilot Knob Road and collapsed a barn owned by Jeff Coakley along Cedar Creek Road.
By about 4 p.m. most fallen trees had been cleared from county roads, but Greeneville Light & Power
System crews were still working to repair damaged power lines and broken power poles, according to Sheriff's Lt. Wesley Holt.
School Buses Delayed
Roads blocked by fallen trees also delayed at least one school bus from Nolachuckey Elementary
School taking children home from school.
"The main issue was down on the lower end of West Allens Bridge Road," said Nolachuckey principal Dr. Gerald Miller.
He said several Greeneville Light & Power System crews were working in that area, affecting county school bus No. 75, driven by Helen Tullock.
"We got word about 4:30 p.m. that she had delivered everyone safely," Miller said. Miller had sent an automated call telling parents of the possible delay in getting students home.
800 Customers Lose Power
Bill Carroll, GL&PS's general manager, said about 800 customers lost power at the peak of the Friday afternoon wind storm. He said the local electric utility lost a total of 11 utility poles with at least five of those located in the Cedar Creek area.
Lt. Holt, who also is chief of the St. James VFD, said shingle roofs on many houses in the St. James community were damaged.
Greene County Highway Department employees and Caney Branch VFD firefighters did a good job of clearing fallen trees from the affected roads, Holt said.
By about 4 p.m. winds had died down across southern Greene County, Holt said.
But about 5 p.m. GL&PS crews and CenturyLink telephone company employees were still working to
restore service interrupted by the wind damage.
A high-wind warning issued by the National Weather Service remained in effect until 9 p.m. Friday for southern Greene County.
In addition, those working to restore power and telephone service faced a new threat from rain and
snow that was predicted to fall overnight and into Saturday.
MSNOWFALL FORECAST
A winter weather advisory issued by the National Weather Service's Morristown office on Friday afternoon said it would remain in effect Saturday from 5 a.m. to 4 p.m.
"An upper low pressure system will move east across the region tonight," the advisory said. "The freezing level will slowly lower to near 1,700 feet overnight.
"Snowfall will likely be preceded by a period of rain and snow mix. The rain and snow mix may last for several hours across the lower elevations.
"Initial snowfall will likely melt. The freezing level will lower to below 1,000 feet across most areas on Saturday," the NWS said.
For more information and stories, see The Greeneville Sun.
