Storm cleanup underway in Morgan County with more severe weather possible
Melissa Houston
ROCKY MOUNT, Mo. (KMIZ)
A severe morning storm caused tree damage and a widespread power outage across Morgan County on July 10, and residents spent much of the day preparing for possible storms later at night.
In an email to ABC 17 News, Co-Mo Electric Cooperative representative Patrick Wood said at one point nearly 3,000 customers had lost power, mostly in Morgan County. As of 7:30 p.m. Friday, more than 1,800 co-op members still had no electricity.
Wood wrote that the chance for more storms later in the evening prompted crews to try and restore as much power as possible before a second storm hits.
“With the number of active outages and the damage they are seeing, there will likely still be restoration work underway when additional storms move into the area this afternoon,” Wood wrote.
Wood wrote it is likely a second storm would create more power outages for the community.
Starting at 8 a.m., the morning storm generated 23 service calls in the area, according to Rocky Mount Fire Protection District Chief Jonathan Trail.
Trail said the calls were for tree debris in the road and falling on power lines, though no major injuries were reported.
“We were fortunate we didn’t have any injuries to any civilians or personnel, but we did have a fair amount of storm damage,” Trail said. “A lot of tree damage and some residences were also damaged with them.”
Trail said crews cleared all of the blockages in preparation for possible severe weather coming later in the evening. He said the department has experienced a couple of severe storms since July 4, and they know how to prepare for this upcoming one.
“Through the 4th to now, we’ve gotten quite a bit of wind and rain, so we’re obviously going to be ready for it,” Trail said.
The department has responded to 56 storm-related calls since July 4, which exceeds its average of 40 emergency calls per month, according to Trail.
With the high temperatures and ongoing outages, Trail said Station One will be open during business hours for residents needing a space with power.
“It’s pretty warm out,” Trail said. “If people need to come up during business hours just to get in the cool area, they’re more than welcome to come up here to Station One, and we’ll accommodate them.”
In preparation for the second storm tonight, Trail said they are advising residents to be cautious when on the roads. Specifically, if there are flooded roadways, he recommends that motorists turn their vehicles around and not attempt to go through the flood.
“It’s not worth having to have us come out to rescue you, or worse, find yourself in a situation where we can’t get there to help you,” Trail said.