Storm Blows Through Northwest Arkansas

Limbs, Power Lines Downed; Thousands Lose Service

STAFF PHOTO JASON IVESTER Phil Frost, left, and Dan Howell, both Rogers Street Department employees, cut through downed trees Wednesday on Eighth Street after a storm passed through Northwest Arkansas bringing strong wind and rain.
STAFF PHOTO JASON IVESTER Phil Frost, left, and Dan Howell, both Rogers Street Department employees, cut through downed trees Wednesday on Eighth Street after a storm passed through Northwest Arkansas bringing strong wind and rain.

A mid-afternoon thunderstorm downed tree limbs and electric lines across Northwest Arkansas on Wednesday, leaving thousands of residents without power.

Utility crews and emergency responders took dozens of calls for service between 1:30 and 3:30 p.m.

At A Glance

Power Out?

To report a power outage, call or go to:

• AEP-Southwestern Electric Power

1-888-216-3523

swepco.com

• Bentonville Electric Department

1-800-286-1262

bentonvillear.com/d…

• Carroll Electric Cooperative Corp.

1-800-432-9720

carrollecc.com

• OGE Energy Corp.

1-800-522-6870

oge.com

• Ozarks Electric Cooperative

1-800-521-6322

ozarksecc.com

Source: Staff Report

The Bentonville Electric Department received more than 1,400 power outage reports after the storm swept through area, said Travis Matlock, engineering director. The highest concentration of outages was near Moberly Lane and Battlefield Parkway.

Steven Hinds, a spokesman for NorthWest Arkansas Community College, reported minor roof damage to Burns Hall and the Becky Paneitz Student Center.

By 3:30 p.m., the Fayetteville Fire Department received about two dozen storm damage reports throughout the city. At one point, all Fire Department vehicles were in use, said Battalion Chief Mauro Campos.

"Thunderstorms like the one that came through are not that common," Campos said. "Most of the time we see these types of utility calls after an ice storm."

A house at Bishop Drive and Susan Carol Lane, near Washington Regional Medical Center, was damaged when a tree fell on it.

A woman living near Stubblefield Road and Loxley Avenue in northeast Fayetteville reported a severed power line outside, leaving her trapped in her home.

Up to 60 mph wind was enough to peel part of the roof off Ben Jack's Arkansas Music, 2719 N. Drake St., in Fayetteville. Larry Stark, store manager, was assessing damage to the store's guitars while workers with Foster Roofing cleared sections of roof off his truck shortly after the storm blew through.

"We're just glad nobody's hurt," Stark said.

According to the National Storm Damage Center, homeowners insurance policies typically cover damage caused by hail, tornadoes and downed tree limbs. Floods and earthquakes often require additional coverage.

Mike Teague, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Tulsa, Okla., said Wednesday's storm damage was mostly because of the sheer speed of wind that rushed through the region.

But dry conditions could have been at play, too, prompting brittle branches to snap in the wind. According to Weather Service data, Fayetteville has received 0.95 inches of rainfall so far this month, about one-third of what is normal. Precipitation for the year is down more than 8 inches from normal.

Despite thunder and ominous clouds, the storm only dropped about 0.13 inches of rain at the National Weather Service's monitoring station at the Fayetteville Executive Airport.

Campos said the area around the municipal airport was still without power at 5 p.m.

At its peak, 12,000 AEP-Southwestern Electric Power customers were without service in Washington and Benton counties, according to Scott McCloud, a spokesman for the company. About 6,800 of the outages were in the Fayetteville area; 3,000 were in Springdale; and about 1,800 were in Rogers. More than 5,500 Swepco customers were still without power at 7 p.m.

About 1,200 Carroll Electric Cooperative customers didn't have service in the early evening hours Wednesday, according to the company's website.

Ozarks Electric Cooperative reported about 800 Washington and Benton counties outages at 7 p.m. -- down from roughly 4,000 outages earlier in the day.

"The guys are out there and will continue until we have everyone on," said Penny Storms, spokeswoman for the co-op.

NW News on 07/24/2014

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