Strong winds destroyed several trees Monday in north Chattanooga. Staff photo by Angela LewisA swirling afternoon thunderstorm pounded much of the Chattanooga area, with strong winds wreaking havoc on homes and power lines.
EPB officials said as of 5:30 p.m. there were 26,000 customers without power.
Lacie Newton, with EPB’s corporate communications, said the figure could rise as more people return home from work. She said all EPB crews and others called in from other areas are working as quicky as possible to restore power.
“While we are still accessing the overall impact, we can say that today’s storm damage to the electric system is some of the worst we’ve seen in 30 years,” Newton said in a news release. ” We expect the amount of damage will affect our restoration process, including how quickly we can get customers back on. From what we know now, damage from today’s storm may result in a power restoration effort that could take several days.”
In Red Bank uprooted trees have blocked residents inside their own homes, according to City Manager Chris Dorsey.