UPDATE: SMALL BANDS OF 65 MPH WINDS HITS COUNTY - Mt. Zion Radio Tower Blows Down, Electric Service Disrupted

(07/09/2014)
UPDATE 7/9 2 PM - Power outages across WV affected 90,00 customers continues to be restored, but in some counties it could be several days.

Bands of high wind downed trees and caused property damage.

Calhoun customers still have outages at 2 p.m.Wednesday was 302.

Other regional counties:

Roane-781

Wirt-395

Braxton-119

Gilmer-128

Ritchie-126

Clay-54

Tall radio tower downed by high winds at Mt. Zion, falling between three crosses erected years ago

Trees down power lines at Mt. Zion, Barnes Run Road

Wind downs large oak, crashes on outbuilding at
the world-wide headquarters of the Hur Herald

High winds up to 65 mph, although gusts exceeded that speed, swept across some sections of Calhoun about 3:15 p.m. Tuesday, blowing down trees, downing power lines and blocking some highways.

Narrow bands of high winds hit several areas, including the Hur-Pine Creek-Mt. Zion area, a tall radio communications tower, built in the 1970s, was blown down.

The tower was used for radio service to a number of businesses and also had an amateur radio transceiver.

A spokesman for Mon Power and Potomac Edison said Tuesday evening it would likely take several days to restore service to more than 90,000 customers in West Virginia.

"We're looking at a multiple day restoration," spokesman Todd Meyers.

"It's that same type of wall wind that comes through, very severe, it's not there very long, but it doesn't take long to create a lot of damage," Myers said.

The Parkersburg area was heavy hit, among other West Virginia cities and counties.

Wind gusted up to 65 mph at Hur for about three minutes, causing trees to bend toward the ground.

At the Hur Herald, a large oak tree was uprooted and crashed into an outbuilding.

Electric service was disrupted in the Hur, Pine Creek, Barnes Run, Rowels Run area, and had not been restored at 11 p.m. Electric service was off in the greater Big Bend area, and trees fell on the power lines on Pleasant Hill.

At 11 p.m. Tuesday, regional outages:

Calhoun 410

Wirt 1,480

Roane 814

Gilmer 510

Braxton 444

Not connected to the wind storm, a house burned to the ground on Walker Rd. Tuesday morning (See story) and the Arnoldsburg VFD responded to an electrical fire under a trailer at Millstone with minimal damage.