High Winds Send Antique Tents Flying

A strong wind storm last Wednesday morning, Oct. 27, tore down tents and scattered merchandise at the antiques show in Round Top and Warrenton.

The damage was especially bad at the Artisan Market outside Bader Ranch in Round Top, where the storm tore down tents housing about 30 vendors.

Some witnesses reported hearing a possible tornado. Fayette County Emergency Management Chief Craig Moreau said meterologist Paul Yura from the National Weather Service investigated the storm and determined it was likely not a tornado.

“We were expecting 30 to 40 mile per hour winds with gusts up to 60,” Moreau said. It looks like we were on the lower range of the sustained winds, but gust very well could have gotten to 50 or 60.”

Strong winds returned on Thursday, with winds averaging 30 to 35 miles per hour.

“It was more of a steady wind all day long,” Moreau said.

Fayette Electric Cooperative reported strong winds with gusts measured as high as 52 miles per hour last Thursday caused scattered power outages to approximately 1,330 members throughout FEC’s service territory. High winds blowing tree limbs into power lines appeared to be the culprit in most cases, the co-op said.?

Seven FEC and contractor crews responded to restore outages in the Riverside, Frisch Auf!, Ledbetter, Fayetteville, Ammansville and Weimar areas. The first outage was reported around 1:20 p.m. Crews were able to make repairs and restore the final outage by 9:05 p.m.

“Our area has not seen wind gusts of this nature in many years,” said FEC General Manager Gary Don Nietsche said. “I have not seen such crazy weather as the weather we have had this year in all my 40 years at the cooperative.”