Wind affects power, prompts allergies

Friday, April 23, 2004 | 8:46 a.m.

High winds kept many Las Vegas Valley residents in the dark and brought traffic on Las Vegas Boulevard to a standstill Thursday after a key fuse cabinet burned.

The outage -- which began about 9:15 a.m. -- affected those between Oakey Boulevard and Sahara Avenue, Nevada Power spokeswoman Sonya Headen said. At its height, 850 Nevada Power customers were without power.

Power was fully restored by 12:15 p.m. Thursday, she said.

The outage came as 50 mph wind gusts blew through the valley, aggravating conditions such as bronchitis and asthma. The conditions also contributed to a higher than normal amount of particulate matter in the air, prompting Clark County officials to encourage children, senior citizens and people with chronic respiratory illnesses to stay indoors.

Under dusty conditions Clark County officials recommend residents drive slowly on unpaved roads, reduce wood burning and ride off-road vehicles only outside the urban portions of the valley. For more information, visit the Clark County Web site, accessclarkcounty.com.