Strong Winds Damage May’s Lick Properties

Straight line winds moved through the May’s Lick area Tuesday (July 14), causing damage to barns and trees from U.S. 68 into Fleming County.

Mason County Emergency Management Director Tim Nolder spent Wednesday surveying the damage at numerous properties in the area. Nolder said the National Weather Service confirmed it was straight line winds, not a tornado because no rotation was seen in the clouds that passed over southern Mason County around 5 p.m., Tuesday.

The most extensive damage is centered around Ward’s Pike, Kentucky 161, Flat Fork Road and the Helena area, toward Elizaville in Fleming County, he said.

“There’s lots of trees down, roofs missing … you can follow the (storm’s) path,” Nolder said.

The McElfresh family on Ward’s Pike counted 94 trees on their property destroyed by the winds when Nolder was at their home mid-afternoon.  The fence line around the property was also damaged.

He said near the Charlie Allison farm a barn was completely destroyed, as was a smaller barn in Helena.

While Gov. Steve Beshear has declared a state of emergency related to this week’s events in Johnson County, Nolder said he isn’t sure if the damage in Mason County will be enough for property owners to receive compensation for their losses.  He said he has advised those affected to take photos and keep track of the work done and the expenses incurred.

“It’s too early to determine if we will qualify for disaster money,” Nolder said.

Customers of Fleming-Mason RECC in southern Mason County have been without power since approximately 5 p.m., Tuesday.  As of 3 p.m., Wednesday, Fleming-Mason had 674 customers throughout its system without power; 74 in Mason County in the May’s Lick area and 225 in Fleming County, primarily in the Beechburg and Pea Ridge areas.

Officials said 10 poles were broken and 15 transformers systemwide will be replaced.  Lineman crews from Ohio and Elizabethtown were brought to the area to assist with repairs which were to continue through Wednesday and overnight into Thursday. Customers with single outages (where the box has pulled away from a structure) were expected to have repairs completed Thursday.

“We appreciate everyone’s patience,” said Mary Beth Nance. “We remind everyone to stay away from downed power lines.”

The Ledger Independent is online at: http://www.maysville-online.com