Winds rip wires, tear down trees

Eric Leake

Tuesday, March 29, 2005 | 9:52 a.m.

Winds whipped across the valley Monday, tearing down trees and lifting up kites in a late afternoon storm.

National Weather Service meteorologist Jim Harrison said southwest winds blew 25 to 30 mph Monday with gusts topping 40 mph throughout the day and calmed into the night.

"In the spring time it can be pretty windy," Harrison said. "Of course, most of the country does have their strongest winds in the spring. But I think we're a pretty windy city this time of the year."

For comparison, Harrison said severe thunderstorm winds normally reach 60 mph and hurricane winds 70 mph. But, he added, even minor winds can be a nuisance.

"What we worry about more in the valley here is blowing dust with air quality issues," Harrison said.

The Clark County Department of Air Quality Management issued a dust advisory for all day Monday. The dust level was moderate Monday and expected to be good going into the weekend.

Las Vegas Fire & Rescue spokesman Tim Szymanski said the department received about 10 calls of downed power lines throughout the afternoon.

"All over the valley there are wires down, trees down," Szymanksi said. "Most of them are trees coming down and they're taking the power lines with them."

He said the majority of the calls were downtown in older neighborhoods. One downed tree near Main Street and Washington Avenue temporarily pinned a man in a pickup truck, Szymanski said.

"We're afraid that somebody will get electrocuted, that's what our biggest concern is," he said. "Any time anybody sees any wire on the ground, regardless of what it is, they should assume it's a live power line and stay away."

Szymanski said most of the calls involved services to individual homes, not wider power failures.