Following an unusual 65 degree day on Tuesday, Gasport's weather returned to normal as a cold front came through. From that passage, the area was buffeted by some pretty consistent winds of 25 to 35 mph that started on Tuesday night and lasted into Wednesday, ending around noon. When the true front came through (around 4:30 AM Wednesday) we saw some of the strongest winds in a couple of years. For a good forty-minutes winds exceeded 45 mph with peak gusts recorded in excess of 70 mph! Surprisingly, most everyone escaped major damage. There were many, many limbs and twigs down, but driving about I saw no trees down and almost no structural damage.
The only tragedy in town: a Graham Road farming family saw their new barn completely collapse and cause a half-million dollars of hardship. The Lockport Union Sun & Journal reports:
At J.J. Dairy Farm, 5073 Graham Road, the new barn, which was completed last week, collapsed, damaging a fertilizer wagon, combine, haybine and hay merger. The machinery was twisted and dented.“We had a new barn; it’s in twigs now,” said Terrie Smith, who estimated the damage at $500,000.
Thirteen calves, about a month old, jumped out their hutches and one was injured. There were 30 uninjured older calves in the white barn which was left standing. J.J. Dairy, which has been operated by twin brothers, Joe and Jim Smith, for 15 years, milks about 350 cows.
Joe Smith found a power line down, laying across the calf hutches. The volunteer fire company pulled the meter to shut off power to the back barn. The Smiths, who have three children, did not lose power in the house, which had no damage.
The only tragedy in town: a Graham Road farming family saw their new barn completely collapse and cause a half-million dollars of hardship. The Lockport Union Sun & Journal reports:
At J.J. Dairy Farm, 5073 Graham Road, the new barn, which was completed last week, collapsed, damaging a fertilizer wagon, combine, haybine and hay merger. The machinery was twisted and dented.“We had a new barn; it’s in twigs now,” said Terrie Smith, who estimated the damage at $500,000.
Thirteen calves, about a month old, jumped out their hutches and one was injured. There were 30 uninjured older calves in the white barn which was left standing. J.J. Dairy, which has been operated by twin brothers, Joe and Jim Smith, for 15 years, milks about 350 cows.
Joe Smith found a power line down, laying across the calf hutches. The volunteer fire company pulled the meter to shut off power to the back barn. The Smiths, who have three children, did not lose power in the house, which had no damage.
