Second round of high winds strikes Scurry County

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  • High winds contributed to an 18-wheeler overturning on U.S. Hwy. 84 near Hermleigh Wednesday morning. A sheriff’s deputy said the driver was not injured.
    High winds contributed to an 18-wheeler overturning on U.S. Hwy. 84 near Hermleigh Wednesday morning. A sheriff’s deputy said the driver was not injured.
  • High winds that blew through the area Wednesday caused extensive property damage, including these snapped utility poles west of Patterson-UTI Drilling Company on West U.S. Hwy. 180.
    High winds that blew through the area Wednesday caused extensive property damage, including these snapped utility poles west of Patterson-UTI Drilling Company on West U.S. Hwy. 180.
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Mother Nature hit Scurry County with a second blast of high wind Wednesday. Fortunately, no injuries were reported and additional property damage was minimal.
Winds approaching 60 mph during the afternoon and evening hours Wednesday were blamed for three traffic accidents, caused numerous power lines, utility poles and street signs to topple and carpeted the area in a thick blanket of dust.
The winds did not provide a sequel to the extensive property damage left in the wake of the wind storm that struck the area shortly after midnight Wednesday.
The National Weather Service reporting station at Winston Field reported 20 instances of wind gusts in excess of 50 mph between 11:15 a.m. and 5:35 p.m. Wednesday and 40 instances of wind gusts of more than 40 mph during the same time period. 
The maximum recorded gust at the airport was 58 mph at 2:55 p.m. Wednesday.
The high winds kicked up thick blankets of dust across West Texas, causing officials in Howard County to shut down a portion of U.S. Hwy. 87 north of Big Spring for a time. 
Poor visibility caused by dust was reported across the area, although no road closures were reported in Scurry County.
High winds were major factors in three accidents along U.S. Hwy. 84 in the vicinity of Hermleigh Wednesday.
The first recorded accident was at 10:30 a.m. near the intersection of U.S. Hwy. 84 and FM 1606, where high winds forced an 18-wheeler off the road and into an adjacent cotton field. 
That accident was followed at 11:29 a.m. when winds caused another 18-wheeler to roll over near the intersection of U.S. Hwy. 84 and CR 4144. The incident temporarily restricted eastbound traffic and crews were forced to push the truck into the median. The wind also kept crews from being able to tow away the vehicle for some time, officials said.
The third wind-related accident was reported near the intersection of U.S. Hwy. 84 and FM 1606, where winds blew over a pickup.
No injuries were reported in the accidents.
There were 18 reported instances of downed power lines, utility poles and street signs in this morning’s police blotter. As of 9:45 a.m. today, Oncor officials reported that 34 customers in Scurry County were still affected by power outages. 
The utility company had dispatched additional crews to the area Wednesday to assist in power restoration, Area Manager Kristy Tyra said Wednesday.
In the wake of Wednesday’s winds, relief agencies have reached out to those affected by the storms. 
The Big Country chapter of the American Red Cross is assisting four families whose homes suffered extensive damage, and the Snyder Community Resource Center also is providing assistance
Snyder Deputy Fire Marshal Nathan Hines said that a National Weather Service (NWS) team will conduct a site survey here today to determine whether the damage caused early Wednesday was the result of straight-line winds or a tornado.
NWS forecasts sunny skies and calm winds through Saturday.