Story originally printed in the Coulee News or online at www.couleenews.com
Published - Wednesday, July 16, 2008
Storm leaves little damage; more rain expected
Toppled trees, fallen power lines and power outages were reported across the Coulee Region on Thursday after an afternoon storm.
The system hit the La Crosse area about 3:15 p.m., with wind gusts of 50 to 55 mph reported in Sparta in Monroe County, according to the National Weather Service. Trempealeau County law enforcement said it had 60 to 70 mph winds.
About 2,100 Xcel Energy customers in the La Crosse area were left without power in the wake of the storm but most had power restored by evening, said Liz Wolf Green, a spokeswoman for Xcel.
Lines and poles also were downed in the Sparta, Melrose and Fort McCoy area, cutting power to about 1,500 customers, said Wolf Green. About 600 customers were without power in the Onalaska area, she said.
Xcel anticipates power would be restored to all customers by midnight Thursday, she said. Any Xcel customers who remain without service today should call 1-800-895-1999.
Rainfall was minimal in the La Crosse area, with only 3/10th of an inch in La Crosse, said Tom Stangeland of the National Weather Service office in La Crosse.
More widespread thunderstorms are likely tonight as a strong cold front moves into the region, according to the weather service.
All stories copyright 2006 Coulee News and other attributed sources.