Storm winds shut down Airport Rd.

Storm winds shut down Airport Rd.

ralphhardin@gmail.com Late last Thursday into early Friday morning, after threatening thunder and lightning lit up the easters skies, a line of strong thunderstorms quickly blew through West Memphis causing power outages on the west end of town and toppling power lines on Airport Road south of the West Memphis Municipal Airport.

The lines were still down Friday morning as West Memphis Utility Department crews surveyed the damage and began work to repair and replace the downed poles. Airport Road south of the airport going toward Proctor was closed overnight into the next day as a safety precaution.

“I’ve been here since around 11 o’clock last night,” said Jim Stacy, an over-the-road truck driver whose lack of access to his destination had him stranded on the side of the road. “I’m just trying to get up to Americold but they’ve got these blockers out.”

He said some drivers had ignored the warning blockades but had been turned around by the damage.

“I’ve seen a few folks go around them and head that way, but after a little while, they’ve been coming back through here,” he said.

Calls went out to the Crittenden County Sheriff’s Office a little after 10 p.m. last Thursday night asking for assistance in shutting down Airport Road. While much of the area received little or no precipitation or storm winds, a powerful gust of straigtline wind or possibly even a funnel cloud left several poles down and tree limbs scattered near the airport.

By Ralph Hardin