Strong winds wreak havoc

March 22, 2005

JOEL DAVIDSON/Frontiersman reporter

PALMER - High winds throughout the Mat-Su area reached gusts of 70 to 80 mph over the weekend, wrecking havoc on local building structures and creating hazardous driving conditions.

The National Oceanic and Atmospherics' National Weather Service in Anchorage issued a high wind warning for the Valley that was to remain in effect until at least Tuesday morning. The warning urges people to secure loose objects that may be blown or damaged by the wind.

Strong gusts sent sand, boards and other debris flying across local roads and highways. Vehicles parked department store parking lots were also reportedly damaged over the weekend due to blowing shopping carts.

On Sunday night, a powerful gust toppled a large McDonalds sign in Palmer. According to Mat-Su Borough Emergency Services Director Dennis Brodigan the sign fell on top of a van in the parking lot. No injuries were reported but Brodigan said the restaurant shut down temporarily. The sign landed in the restaurant's drive-through area near the front of the store, leaving shattered plastic shards on the ground. A tow truck removed the sign and employees cleaned the area.

Starting Sunday afternoon, Brodigan said he received reports of a light post that fell on Crusy Street in Wasilla as well as several reports of fires caused by trees falling on powerlines.

"I would guess we responded to eight different locations in the Wasilla, KGB, Meadow Lakes and Big Lake Area," Brodigan said. "The fires were all controlled very very quickly."

Wasilla Police Chief Don Savage said the winds didn't develop to the level experienced during the powerful wind storm of March 2003 but he did say building alarm systems were going off due to the high gusts and airplanes at the Wasilla Airport were in danger of being damaged if they were not properly secured.

According to NOAA, the high winds should die down substantially by late Tuesday night, with expected east winds of 15 mph. For more information about local weather conditions, go to www.nws.noaa.gov.

Contact Joel Davidson at joel.davidson@frontiersman.com