10.29.12 What to do in Dangerous Wind - FOX44 - Burlington / Plattsburgh News, Weather & Sports

10.29.12 What to do in Dangerous Wind

From Meteorologist Steve Glazier,

With high wind gusts in the forecast I want you to stay safe and be reminded of what to do if and when damage occurs. Wind gusts will reach up to 50 miles per hour for a lot of our area. That is enough to bring down a lot of small and medium-sized limbs and/or weak trees. It's not enough to do structural damage to sturdy buildings, however may move or impact structures that are weaker.

However wind gusts could reach to 80 miles per hour in isolated spots. While these winds won't be a long duration, the power of a wind gust is enough to cause damage. In the event of damaging wind gusts, here are some helpful tips on how to avoid danger.

1. Avoid downed power lines and keep an eye out for them! These strong winds will come in at night, making it more difficult to see these lines on the ground. Also report the outages to your local utility company so they know about it.
2. Never try to move any of these power lines. Also watch out for puddles, as they can transmit that electricity from nearby lines and to you!
3. Park your vehicle in a secure place. Expect trees or limbs to come down, so don't park near them (if you can that is).
4. Try to stay away from windows. I don't expect windows to get smashed in from the extensive wind, however if debris were to hit the house, stay away from the windows just in case.
5. Secure outdoor furniture or bring yard items inside. These can become projectiles in strong wind events.
6. Be prepared for no power. High winds will still be around Tuesday (gusts to 50 mph), so power crews are going to be delayed in some of their fixes. Power outages will likely last until Wednesday or Thursday.

Please, if you see, hear, or know of any breaking weather information let us know! Safely do so, via Facebook, Twitter, e-mailing us news@fox44now.com or calling in 802-859-1344. Thank you!