Wind, dust wreak havoc across area

High winds on Friday caused extensive damage across the state, including in Mercer and Auglaize counties, resulting in a slew of injury accidents, overturned semitrailers, structural damage, downed power lines, road closures and ditch fires.

There were no fatalities in Mercer County, Sheriff Doug Timmerman said Friday.

The National Weather Service issued a high wind warning and a blowing dust advisory for Auglaize, Hardin and Mercer counties that was in effect until 8 p.m. Friday.

The advisory was issued because visibility was reduced to between one-quarter mile and one mile by blowing dust, the NWS said. The wind warning was issued because west winds were up to 25 to 35 mph with gusts up to 65 mph.

"We have obviously high winds in the mid- to upper 50s that's been confirmed by the EMA's office that has obviously increased throughout the day," Timmerman said. "We have an abundant amount of calls on the board that we are having a hard time getting caught up with, including several injury accidents."

A personal weather station west of Celina reported wind gusts as high as 76 mph.

Timmerman said his deputies responded to several semitrailers that were blown over - including one that was leaking fuel and another that had someone pinned, multiple downed power lines and fallen trees. As a result, several roads were closed. He estimated the office received about a dozen accident calls with about half being injury accidents.

Not much wind damage was reported in St. Marys, though safety service director Greg Foxhoven told The Daily Standard that there were a few isolated power outages in town. In addition, the city's water and waste water plants switched over to generators due to electric outage "blinks" at around 5 p.m. Friday.

"One subdivision experienced two outages, one relatively short, the other was longer," he added. "The problem is (the) large trees that typically don't cause us too much heartache, but because of the severe wind, they are now."

Foxhoven continued that a couple of electric poles in town had snapped and there were some reports of debris and limbs throughout town. The St. Marys Electric Department remained on the clock after hours to deal with the issues.

Other incidents include the Wapakoneta YMCA closing because the winds caused extensive damage to the roof, part of the roof being torn off at a gymnasium at Lima Central Catholic, a large tree down in the 400 block of West Auglaize Street in Wapakoneta, missing shingles on residents' homes and part of Auglaize County Courthouse's roof flew off, causing the building to close.

Additionally, all schools in Mercer and Van Wert counties canceled their afternoon bus routes because the vehicles are top-heavy and could have posed an injury risk.

The NWS said driving conditions were hazardous because oaf the limited visibility and power outages were expected.

"We have deputies (who) can't even see to get out of their car," Timmerman said. "Their cars are running into each other because there are already crashes and then they can't see when they're coming up on them."

Timmerman called the situation a "white out," saying, "It's just like a dust bowl."

"It's just blowing up dust storms from the bare fields. It's so dangerous when you're in the middle of one of them. The deputies are even petrified to get out of their cars."

Police cruisers had also sustained damage from flying debris, Timmerman said.

The wind caused semitrailer rollovers from Portland, Indiana, to Auglaize, Hardin and Logan counties. Numerous overturned trucks were reported on I-75 Friday in Auglaize and Shelby counties, with traffic stalled and portions of the interstate closed for periods of the day. U.S. Route 33 was closed in Logan County from Lakeview to the Auglaize County line due to overturned semitrailers, per the Logan County Sheriff's Office.