Crews Working To Restore Power In High Winds

Strong afternoon winds that followed lunchtime storms Friday have caused numerous power outages across the Upper Cumberland.

Power crews worked through the winds as possible to try to restore power. UCEMC crews made considerable progress between 5pm and 6pm especially in Smith County and western Jackson County. As of 6pm, the hardest hit area in the UCEMC service area appears to be the Standing Stone Highway area of Overton County. Some 365 customers along Gainesboro Grade are without power. Small pockets of outages are scattered all across the UCEMC area.

Volunteer Energy reported some 3.900 Cumberland County customers without power as of 6pm. About 23 percent of Fentress County residents served by Volunteer Energy are without power. Nearly 450 customers in Pickett County are without power at 6pm.

Caney Ford Electric reported on its Facebook page “a large number of outages.”

Emergency management officials reported widespread downed trees in Jackson County. First responders from all Overton County departments worked to clear trees. A couple of minor damage reports to addresses in Cumberland County, according to officials.

The Weather Service reports the winds should begin to dye down as we move into the early evening.

Few issues reported with the severe storms that moved through during the lunch hour. A wind gust of 61mph reported in Monterey during the worst of the storms.