Utah Winds: Trucks Flipped, Trees Uprooted as State Faces Hurricane-Like Gusts of Upto 99 Mph (See Pics & Videos)
The maximum damage of the hurricane-like winds was seen on the highways, where dozens of trucks lost balance and flipped over due to the high wind speed. No fatalities were confirmed but some of the drivers had sustained injuries. "45 semi trucks have overturned (a record number for our state)," tweeted Lt Gov Spencer Cox.
Salt Lake City, September 10: The western US province of Utah was battered with hurricane-force winds over the past couple of days, leading to several trees being uprooted, trucks flipping over and power lines being snapped. To prevent casualties, the administration had temporarily sealed highways and blocked interstate travel. Nana to Intensify Into Hurricane Before Making Landfall in Belize, Year 2020 Continues to Precipitate Record-Breaking Number of Early-Season Storms.
After winds measuring upto 99 mph were recorded late on Tuesday, a state of emergency was imposed by Governor Gary Herbert. The curfew-like restrictions were eased in some parts of the state in wee hours of Thursday.
The maximum damage of the hurricane-like winds was seen on the highways, where dozens of trucks lost balance and flipped over due to the high wind speed. No fatalities were confirmed but some of the drivers had sustained injuries. "45 semi trucks have overturned (a record number for our state)," tweeted Lt Gov Spencer Cox.
Utah Highway Patrol shared a footage on its social media account, in which a lorry is seen balancing on its right-sided wheels after being hit by a wind of unprecedented velocity. The vehicle ultimately ended up flipping to the other side of the road.
Watch Video Shared by Utah Highway Patrol
More Trucks Left Wrecked
Dozens of large trees aging more than hundred years were uprooted by the storm. The viciousness of the winds could be gauged by the visuals shared below, which show that the trees were brought down along with the landmass holding them together.
See Pics of Trees Uprooted
What's Next in 2020
Power lines were snapped in several districts of Utah, with outages also being reported in the Salt Lake City. Around 110,000 homes were left without electricity.
Supply of essential services was also hit due to the sealing off major highways. The trucks and lorries ferrying essential services were barred to operate due to the high winds. The authorities had, on Wednesday, asked the residents to manage with their existing food and water stock for the next 72 hours.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Sep 10, 2020 12:55 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).