County contends with high winds

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February 26, 2013

County contends with high winds

By BRAD KELLAR Herald-Banner Staff The Herald-Banner Tue Feb 26, 2013, 04:08 AM CST

GREENVILLE — Hunt County residents had to deal with a windy day Monday, and may have seen a few snowflakes overnight.

Another windy day is on tap today, while some area Texas Department of Transportation employees were dispatched out west to deal with the aftermath of blizzard conditions in the Texas Panhandle.

Strong west/southwest winds blew across the region Monday, with the strongest gust of 32 miles per hour reported at Majors Field Municipal Airport in Greenville as of the evening.

The National Weather Service forecast had the winds staying blustery, with gusts as high as 30 mph throughout the night, along with a 30 percent chance of snow and a low around 36 degrees overnight.

The high is expected to reach 50 degrees today, with winds out of the west/northwest, with gusts as high as 30 mph.

The Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) reported Monday it was sending employees of the TxDOT Paris District Office in Greenville to assist with relief efforts during the current blizzard in the Lubbock area.

“TxDOT’s Paris District will be sending six employees to Lubbock this evening to support with the emergency conditions resulting from the recent winter weather event,” according to TxDOT Paris District Public Information Officer Tray Turner. “Four employees from the Greenville Maintenance Office and two employees from the Sulphur Springs Maintenance Office will be operating equipment to help clear the Hub City highways of snow and ice.”

Area fire departments also had to battle a handful of fires as the winds blew Monday.

The Quinlan, Tawakoni South and West Tawakoni fire departments, along with the Ables Springs fire department out of Kaufman County, were dispatched Monday afternoon to a structure fire on Underwood Drive in the back of the EZ-Living West subdivision.

Even though Hunt County is not under a burn ban, there are restrictions to outdoor burning.

The burning of household trash is only permissible during daylight hours and the wind speed cannot be greater then 23 mph. Natural materials, such as brush and limbs can be burned, but not treated or painted lumber.

No prohibited material — including but not limited to rubber, plastics, wire, insulation and furniture — can be burned, and a responsible person must be present during active burning.