Winds wreak havoc

High winds swept through the state, including Erie County, on Friday. The National Weather Service issued a high wind warning. Sustained winds of 25 mph to 35 mph were reported with gusts into the high 60s. For reference, a tropical storm becomes a hurricane when its sustained winds top 74 mph. Dozens of power poles and trees snapped in the winds, leaving numerous roads closed as law enforcement, fire departments, the Ohio Department of Transportation and Ohio Edison grappled with the multiple scenes. Erie County dispatchers answered nearly 200 calls for service in the nine hours between 9 a.m. and 6 p.m. on Friday. Erie County Sheriff Paul Sigsworth said that is nearly double the normal amount of calls. "The most fortunate thing is that there were no injuries related to the wind that I am aware of," Sigsworth said. There were three incidents of wires falling on vehicles. Two vehicles at Edison Middle School in Berlin Heights had lines fall on them. An Ohio Department of Transportation truck had lines fall on it on Berlin Road. Also, a semi-truck that was eastbound on Ohio 2 near Berlin Road drove through a low-hanging telephone cable and brought down several poles. This caused the closure of Ohio 2 in both directions until the scene could be cleaned up. All three of those calls were handled by the Berlin Township Fire Department, according to Sigsworth. Winds also caused numerous power outages, including one centered around Berlin Heights that left nearly 2,000 customers in the dark. "Law enforcement, the fire departments, and the community all worked together during the wind event," Sigsworth said. Major road closures included: • Ohio 2, which was closed for about 45 minutes due to a semi that drove through a low-hanging wire • Hayes Avenue (Ohio 4), which was closed for about 20 hours due to downed poles and lines • Ohio 113, which was closed between Ransom and Peru Center roads for about 19 hours due to downed lines across the road • Darrow Road between Poorman and Barnes roads, which was closed for about 19 hours • West Mason Road, which was closed between Ransom and Patten Tract roads due to a utility pole that was swaying perilously