County recovers from weekend storm: The Courier-Times

Strong wind gusts and blinding snow prevented many Henry County residents from enjoying their weekend.

Nearly 5,100 residents were affected by Saturday’s weather, Angeline Protogere, a communication consultant for Duke Energy, said.

As of Monday morning, most power was restored to Henry County, said Ron Huffman, director of the Henry County Emergency Management Agency.

Protogere said Monday there were about 60 new power outages in New Castle, but the reason was unknown.

The Henry County Emergency Management Agency is still evaluating the damage caused by Saturday’s inclement weather. There were at least eight reports of utility problems and more than six reports of downed trees and other traffic hazards from Saturday.

Indianapolis National Weather Service Meteorologist Joseph Nield said there was little to no snow accumulation, but that Henry County had some of the strongest wind gusts in central Indiana.

“Henry County was definitely toward the high end for wind speed,” he said.

The highest recorded winds in the county were northwest of Straughn and measured 71 miles per hour at 4:25 p.m. Saturday. Nield said they received sporadic reports of damages to trees, power lines falling and shingles blowing off roofs.

Derek Seyfferle, a worker with the utility company USIC, said he helped clean up a utility pole that snapped under the pressure of the wind at the intersection of North Jefferson and Brown streets in Knightstown.

The weather also caused power failure to traffic lights in New Castle and Knightstown, which required EMA assistance. Responders from local law enforcement and the EMA were out directing traffic in both locations for about four hours each, Huffman said.

Judy Underwood, a driver along Memorial Drive during the power outages, said that she is grateful for all law enforcement officers and emergency responders that stood out in the cold to direct traffic in New Castle.

“I couldn’t help but think how really, really cold they must have been! We appreciate you!” she said in an email to The Courier-Times.

Some community plans had to be changed, and even cancelled, due to the conditions.

The New Castle Broad Street Cruise-In that was originally scheduled for Saturday was cancelled, but is rescheduled for 6 p.m. Saturday, April 9.

Today has expected low temperatures in the 20s and 30s, particularly during the morning, with highs in the mid 40s later in the day. Thunderstorms are expected for Wednesday, with potential wind gusts up to 37 mph.

Huffman advised people to always make sure they are ready for any kind of disaster, big or small, to happen.

“It’s one of those things, you need to make sure all your supplies are ready,” he said. “Be ready for a disaster before it hits.”

*This was one of the more in-depth stories I worked on at my internship because there were so many different sources I could use for this story. I spoke with all the contacts listed in the final story, and went around New Castle to find a scene I could photograph to go along with the story. I also did some research about what the weather forecasts would be for the coming week. My editor posted a question on Facebook, and I used some of the responses we got for the story.