Storms lead to downed trees and power outages in Lexington

LEXINGTON, Ky. (LEX 18) — Thousands of Kentuckians woke up without power Thursday morning. Strong to severe storms rolled through Kentucky Wednesday night leading to downed trees, power outages, and debris.

In Lexington, around 4:30 a.m. Thursday, there were about 2,000 customers without power in the Beaumont Centre area off Harrodsburg Road.

In Lexington’s Lansdowne Drive area, workers with Kentucky Utilities restored power overnight after a tree hit wires, causing some large sparks. Also in the Lansdowne Drive area, at least one tree was blown over. The trees in the area appear to be new, which could mean the roots are not strong yet. The city of Lexington planted the new trees in the area following a heated debate between locals and Kentucky Utilities about tree trimming and cutting.

Brian Stahl/LEX 18 Chief Photographer

Elsewhere in Lexington, the rain and wind knocked down other trees in Lexington. A tree fell near the intersection of Cooper Drive and Colony Blvd. According to the LEX 18 Storm Tracker Weather team, peak wind gusts were around 44 mph in Fayette County.

Brian Stahl/LEX 18 Chief Photographer

You can check the latest Kentucky Utilities power outages by looking at the outage map. You can find it here.

LEX 18 viewer Dianna Kouns sent us a video of an odd-looking cloud formation in Scott County. While it could look like a funnel cloud, Chief Meteorologist Bill Meck says he believes it is the leading edge of the gust front. Scott County Emergency Management tells LEX 18 there is no significant damage in the area.

Storm Tracker Meteorologist Tom Ackerman says Shelby County had the highest wind gust during the storm. It reached over 70 mph.

You can check the latest forecast here.