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HomeNewsWicked winds, torrential rain batter Clarksville; downed trees, structural damage, power outages...

Wicked winds, torrential rain batter Clarksville; downed trees, structural damage, power outages reported

A line of severe weather  slammed into Clarksville Wednesday with a mix of brief but torrential rain and winds in excess of 60 mph, causing widely scattered power outages, downed tree limbs and some structural damage.

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Street Department crew works to clear debris from College Street

In downtown Clarksville, Street Department crews in wet weather gear worked to clear a fallen tree from College Street even as winds continued to howl and rip roofing shingles off the “Biscuit Company” building. Throughout the downtown area smaller branches were riding the winds, and traffic lights and street signs were battered and bent. In some areas, roofing shingles were fluttering like flags and being ripped from rooftops. Several globes on some of the city’s ornate street lamps off College Street were shattered. A stockade fence was partially blown down.  At the Goble Law Firm,  awnings on both sides of the building were shredded.

"What's left of a neighbor's carport"

Residents at Vanleer and Ford Streets heard a deep, rumbling roar of wind and a solid thump, followed by a second road and thump: a quick check revealed a neighbor’s carport upended by wind and deposited over power lines, a fence and clotheslines.  Police, power crews and the fire department responded to that call, along with many others over the course of the afternoon.

“I was on the phone, and I heard a roar and crash. I told my caller “I think the roof is coming apart.” I was partly right — it was the neighbor’s carport roof landing in my yard.”

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Several lampposts are missing globes after the storm

According to the National Weather Service In Nashville, a long thin line of storms which stretched from Indiana to the Gulf states, a narrow band with a big punch. The NWS issued a high wind warning as forecast with the expectation of sustained winds of up to 35 miles per hour and gusts to 57 mph. In fact, wind gusts of as much as 72 mph were officially  reported across the north Middle Tennessee area. Just before 11 a.m., the sirens at Fort Campbell and across the city rang out with a severe thunderstorm warning. Within 20 minutes, torrential rain swept across the city, departing as quickly as they arrived but leaving a swath of damage behind. As predicted, an afternoon of high winds followed. To the north and east of Montgomery County, tornado watches were in place during the afternoon.

One police officer reported a traffic light on Madison Street blown from its mooring. A downed tree lib effectively barricaded a driveway at 423 Madison Street. At Madison and the 41A bypass, traffic lights were damaged and power was out at the K-Mart/Food Lion Plaza and at several neighboring businesses at the height of rush hour. Three police officers pulled traffic duty to keep the flow of cars moving through that area at peak time.

Power crews continue to work at restoring power t0 homes and businesses.

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