Published: June 09, 2008 11:35 pm         

Fairview sees brunt of damage

FAIRVIEW — Fairview was battered by storms early Monday morning that caused damage throughout town and plunged the city into darkness again.

High straight-line wind caused the damage, knocking down power poles and cutting electricity just days after power was restored from a storm Thursday.

Randy Armstutz, powerline supervisor for Western Electric Cooperative in Anadarko, said the storm took out 17 power poles of the 69,000-volt transmission line. Western Farmers is the wholesale power supplier and transmission service provider for Fairview Utilities Authority.

The line fell across Oklaho-ma 8 east of Fairview, closing the highway about 1:30 a.m. It was re-opened by afternoon.

Some downed lines were in standing water from torrential rain or back-up from Sand Creek.

Fairview Utility Authority, the city electric utility, had its own problem with a main pole down on Locust between Main and Sixth.

City Manager Dale Sides said Western Electric crews are working on their portion of lines, and crews from other communities had arrived to assist Fairview.

“We’re diligently trying to get them back on,” he said.

A Fairview Police Depart-ment spokesman said electricity could be out for two or three days.

According to police dispatchers, one storm came through between 8 and 9 p.m. Sunday, but the big storm hit with a powerful punch between midnight and 1 a.m. Monday and lasted for a time. The lights went out at 1:30 a.m.

It was wind from the second storm that caused damage throughout town.

Trees were uprooted, and the press box at the high school football field was blown from the stadium and thrown in a heap on the ground.

Two grain silos at Fair-view Sooner Co-op, damaged by an earlier storm, collapsed under the strong wind, estimated at 70-80 mph. Officials said an estimated 7,000 bushels of grain was lost.

Around town, an auto dealership had its front windows broken and a retail store lost its sign and suffered roof damage. A smaller building was rolled up, Sides said.

He said he did not know of any flooding but water in town was high.

Although there were no re-ports of tornado activity, Sides said, some trees were twisted, suggesting some rotation.

There were no reported injuries.



Elsewhere from storms ...



There was isolated flooding throughout Major County, along with other downed power lines and poles. High water was reported over a county road near Isabella.

Garfield County fared better, although there were reports of a few Enid street washouts.

The biggest problem, according to Public Service Director Jim McClain, happened at 4605 W. Randolph, where the ground washed out around an AT&T manhole. McClain said the city will begin temporary repairs on the street this week. The temporary repair will remain until AT&T can move its manhole and lines.

The city will install a new culvert diagonally across the road.

“Water has been dead-heading right into that, and it’s been a problem, and we lost more last night,” McClain said.

Other than some minor washouts, McClain said he cannot tell if there is any additional damage until the water recedes and crews are able to examine streets.

City Manager Eric Benson said part of a sewer line is leaking after the storm, and part of Chestnut also washed out.

A house fire at 324. W. Pine reportedly started by a lightning strike shortly after midnight.

Outside Enid, in the county, Stabe Road near Lahoma was closed due to overflowing Turkey Creek. A bridge one-half mile south of Fox Drive on Banner Road was reported by deputies to have collapsed.

Rainfall amounts varied in Garfield County, according to Mike Honigsberg, director of city and county Emergency Management. He said reports ranged from 3 to 8 inches.

According to figures from the Mesonet system, the Breck-inridge weather reporting site had 4.57 inches of rain Sunday and Monday.

Other totals for the two days were Lahoma, 5.37 inches; Fairview, 5.61 inches; Chero-kee, 2.34 inches; Medford, 2.20 inches; Kingfisher, 2.61 inches; and Watonga, 3.21 inches.

No damage was reported in Alfalfa, Grant or Kingfisher counties. Hennessey Police De-partment reported Monday Tur-key Creek overflowed its banks and was across Oklahoma 51, but it had receded by 9:30 p.m.

There is a chance of more thunderstorms Wednesday night through Friday.