High winds yesterday felled trees and knocked down power lines in the area, causing some power outages both on and off Grounds.
Several power lines reportedly were knocked down near the intersection of Madison and Preston Avenues yesterday because of the unusually heavy winds. According to local weather reports, the wind speed reached up to 40 mph yesterday afternoon.
As of yesterday afternoon, a tree had fallen down on Arlington Boulevard and there had been a few power outages on Grounds, according to Glenda Ferguson, a University Facilities Management customer service official.
Power outages were reported in New Cabell, Gilmer and Rouss Halls and the University Bookstore yesterday morning.
"The outages did not last very long because we were quick to react to the reports," Ferguson said.
First-year College student Caryl Huynh said the lights flickered momentarily yesterday around 10:40 a.m. during her psychobiology class in Gilmer Hall.
"We were definitely surprised at first but then... we just went right back to talking about the hypothalamus and amygdala," Huynh said.
Although many students were briefly affected by the power outages, few major problems were reported.
"The University did not suffer significant damage today because of the winds," University Director of Facilities Operations Chris Willis said.
Since most of the University's power lines are underground, outages were minimal when they did occur. There were only two buildings with significant power outages -- Stone Hall, the National Radio Astronomy Observatory, and Zehmer Hall, where the University's School of Continuing and Professional Studies is located, according to Willis.
A few minor landscaping problems also occurred as a result of the weather conditions.
"I have not heard of any major wind damage, but I did see some small branches littering the streets," University Landscape Architect Mary Hughes said.
Some University students reported power flickers in non-academic buildings such as Maupin, a first-year dormitory.
"When I walked into my dorm room this afternoon, my alarm clock was blinking," said first-year Engineering student Jon Carrier, a Maupin resident.
First-year College student Christine Feeney also recounted that lights flickered yesterday morning at the Observatory Hill dining facility.
"Overall, the disturbances caused by the weather were rather minor," she said.
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