A lot of people woke up to some surprises today after a long night of heavy wind gusts - fallen fences, missing patio furniture, and no power.
NV Energy says over 8,000 people were impacted this morning, mostly in the Douglas and Washoe County areas. Luckily, most outages have been fixed and only a few customers are left to go.
Paul Fremeau, meteorologist for NV Energy, says, "Wind is one of the biggest factors that can impact power outages. So, you can have damage to the equipment itself. So, you can have power poles that can succumb to very powerful winds; you can have objects blown into power lines. We've seen things like trampolines blown into lines."
One woman in Sparks says she found her truck crushed by a tree at 2:30 in the morning.
The same thing happened to another man in Reno. The homeowner says the City of Reno told him they are not responsible for cleaning up this fallen tree since it's on his property.
If this happens to you, call a certified arborist - otherwise further damage can happen with someone who's not a professional.
Mason Needham, certified arborist and owner of Loraxe Tree Care, says, "Definitely people should hire companies that have a certified arborist on staff or speak to them personally. It's too easy for a client to just call their neighbor's uncle down the street who will just show up with a ladder or a chainsaw."
Nevada State Police have seen a couple of crashes as well.
A truck was flipped over due to the wind on 395 near Red Rock Road this morning.
And a semi rolled over in Washoe Valley as it was heading south on 395.
Sergeant Chris Brown says, "We've also had a couple of calls and reports of debris striking vehicles and damage caused by blowing debris."
Luckily there are no injuries in either crash - Brown says both trucks will remain on their sides until the wind dies down.
If you're nervous about losing control while driving in high winds, Brown says, "When in doubt, both feet out."
"Take both feet out of that equation," he explains. "Don't hit the gas, don't hit the brakes. Just focus on steering your vehicle and looking where you want that vehicle to go."
Remember to prepare yourself before expected heavy winds by making sure to check your outdoor furniture, being careful where you park your car, and having everything needed for possible power outages.
