Snowbirds: you missed a fun weekend here in Gasport!
On Friday and Saturday we experienced a major thaw and a lot of rain. Some spots in Niagara County had nearly 1.5" inch of rain, others had annecdotal reports of 3". Coupled with the melting of 18" of snow, that really satuarated the area. Red Creek flooded so badly it was just a foot and a half away from Wheeler Road at one point...and sump pumps were running continuously.
On Sunday we were smacked with hurricane force winds. Trees and power lines snapped everywhere and the police scanner was alive with calls for downed lines and out-of-service traffic lights everywhere. I drove around to take a look and found a tree across Dale Road at Red Creek, littered yards, a half-dozen calf huts blown into a hedgerow 1/2 of a mile from their farm, and the power poles on Orangeport Road playing jump rope with the power lines.
The Lockport US&J reports....
WEATHER: High winds whip through area, leaving damage, outages
Winds of up to 60 mph tore through Niagara County on Sunday, leaving behind some property damage and more than 2,000 customers without power in the city and Town of Lockport.
A number of trees knocked over and uprooted by the wind fell onto houses, a garage and into the street. Branches, garbage cans and all kinds of materials blew through the streets for most of the day Sunday.
The National Weather Service issued a high wind warning for all of Niagara County that expired at 8 p.m. Sunday. A warning is issued when sustained winds of 40 mph are expected for at least an hour and with gusts of 58 mph or greater at any time. The service said a powerful cold front crossed the state Sunday morning and continued to the East Coast throughout the day. That brought the damaging winds, mostly from the southwest, which diminished some a little later in the evening. Gusts were expected to continue through the evening before dying out overnight. The National Weather Service clocked the highest winds in Western New York at about 75 miles per hour at the Buffalo Niagara International Airport.
There is also a flood warning from the weather service for today for some areas around Tonawanda Creek at Batavia and Rapids. Those areas include North Amherst, North Clarence, Royalton and Newstead. The service said the warning started Sunday night and continues into Tuesday night. Water levels are expected to reach at least 16 feet and could close roads such as Millersport Highway and Tonawanda Creek Road. Tonawanda Creek was expected to rise above 12 feet at midnight Sunday and reach 15 feet by Tuesday morning.
The Niagara County Sheriff’s Department released a statement asking motorists to be extra cautious while driving on county roads. “The combination of melting snow and rainfall over the last 24 hours has caused flooding problems throughout the county,” the statement read. Signs and barricades are being posted in areas where flooding is possible. Drivers should watch out for standing water in roadways and avoid driving in flooded areas. The department said the roads that could have flooding problems are Drum Road in Hartland, the village of Middleport, Riddle and Simms Roads in Royalton, Royal Parkway in Lockport and Wheatfield-Pendleton Townline Road in Pendleton.
To read the entire article, go here:
http://www.lockportjournal.com/local/local_story_364000428.html
On Friday and Saturday we experienced a major thaw and a lot of rain. Some spots in Niagara County had nearly 1.5" inch of rain, others had annecdotal reports of 3". Coupled with the melting of 18" of snow, that really satuarated the area. Red Creek flooded so badly it was just a foot and a half away from Wheeler Road at one point...and sump pumps were running continuously.
On Sunday we were smacked with hurricane force winds. Trees and power lines snapped everywhere and the police scanner was alive with calls for downed lines and out-of-service traffic lights everywhere. I drove around to take a look and found a tree across Dale Road at Red Creek, littered yards, a half-dozen calf huts blown into a hedgerow 1/2 of a mile from their farm, and the power poles on Orangeport Road playing jump rope with the power lines.
The Lockport US&J reports....
WEATHER: High winds whip through area, leaving damage, outages
Winds of up to 60 mph tore through Niagara County on Sunday, leaving behind some property damage and more than 2,000 customers without power in the city and Town of Lockport.
A number of trees knocked over and uprooted by the wind fell onto houses, a garage and into the street. Branches, garbage cans and all kinds of materials blew through the streets for most of the day Sunday.
The National Weather Service issued a high wind warning for all of Niagara County that expired at 8 p.m. Sunday. A warning is issued when sustained winds of 40 mph are expected for at least an hour and with gusts of 58 mph or greater at any time. The service said a powerful cold front crossed the state Sunday morning and continued to the East Coast throughout the day. That brought the damaging winds, mostly from the southwest, which diminished some a little later in the evening. Gusts were expected to continue through the evening before dying out overnight. The National Weather Service clocked the highest winds in Western New York at about 75 miles per hour at the Buffalo Niagara International Airport.
There is also a flood warning from the weather service for today for some areas around Tonawanda Creek at Batavia and Rapids. Those areas include North Amherst, North Clarence, Royalton and Newstead. The service said the warning started Sunday night and continues into Tuesday night. Water levels are expected to reach at least 16 feet and could close roads such as Millersport Highway and Tonawanda Creek Road. Tonawanda Creek was expected to rise above 12 feet at midnight Sunday and reach 15 feet by Tuesday morning.
The Niagara County Sheriff’s Department released a statement asking motorists to be extra cautious while driving on county roads. “The combination of melting snow and rainfall over the last 24 hours has caused flooding problems throughout the county,” the statement read. Signs and barricades are being posted in areas where flooding is possible. Drivers should watch out for standing water in roadways and avoid driving in flooded areas. The department said the roads that could have flooding problems are Drum Road in Hartland, the village of Middleport, Riddle and Simms Roads in Royalton, Royal Parkway in Lockport and Wheatfield-Pendleton Townline Road in Pendleton.
To read the entire article, go here:
http://www.lockportjournal.com/local/local_story_364000428.html
