High Wind — Sc Washington, Utah

2002-04-15 · Sc Washington, Utah

Wider weather episode

Almost all of Utah was overly taxed as a powerful spring storm brought damaging winds and blowing dust to the area. The winds ahead of the cold front toppled semis, caused numerous traffic accidents, closed freeways, whipped up wildfires, and produced widespread power outages. At the storms peak, nearly 100,000 people were without power. An apartment complex in Draper and nearby school was evacuated after 17 power poles were knocked onto the roofs. Winds of 50-75 mph and blowing dust caused a multiple car accident near Paragonah on I-15. Several trucks overturned at Point of the Mountain. I-15 had to be closed near Fillmore due to the low visibilities in blowing dust. A wildfire was whipped up near Parowan by the wind, forcing residents to evacuate. At the Cedar City Airport, wind gusts snapped the lines holding down a plane, causing it to smash into another parked plane. Other damage around the state included broken windows, shingles and siding ripped away from homes and businesses, storage sheds collapsing, billboards and marquees blown down, and large trees uprooted or snapped off. Some of the stronger wind gusts included 84 mph (73kts) at Lost Creek, 78 mph (68 kts) in West Jordan and Chepeta, 72 mph (63 kts) at Dugway and Sandy, 71 mph (62 kts) at Delta, 70 mph (61 kts) at Fillmore, 67 mph (58 kts) at Saint George, 66 mph (57 kts) in Wendover, 64 mph (56 kts) at the Salt Lake International Airport, 62 mph (54 kts) at Cedar City, 61 mph (53 kts) in Centerville, and 58 mph (50 kts) at Tooele.

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 5324455. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.