Published: July 23, 2008 10:40 pm         

Strong storms hit area again

Winds clocked at 40 to 50 mph

Strong storms rumbled through southern West Virginia again Wednesday — but these were passing showers compared to the severe storms that struck Tuesday night.

Between 1 and 2 p.m. Wednesday, a cold front entered the Beckley area, according to Fred McMullen, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Charleston. This, combined with already present summer moisture, caused a brief strong — but not severe — thunderstorm to erupt.

Radar estimates clocked winds of 40 to 50 mph in the region, McMullen said.

Power lines were downed on Harper Road in Beckley near Tudor’s Biscuit World, according to the Raleigh County Emergency Operations Center. Only one traffic lane was open until around 5:30 p.m. Arcing power lines and trees on top of them were reported on Jackson Street in Beckley. A tree also fell onto Coal River Road in Naoma.

Other counties throughout the region reported little to no problems Wednesday.

According to McMullen, this storm was much weaker than the one that roared into southern West Virginia Tuesday night. That one — which was severe — was a complex of storms that developed in Kentucky during the daytime heat. Continued hot and humid air kept the storm going and traveling farther east. Winds reached 60 mph.

That storm caused downed trees and power lines and power outages throughout the area, with the Montgomery and Gauley Bridge areas of Fayette County and the Stanaford area of Raleigh County believed to be hardest hit.

McMullen said Thursday should be a peaceful day with temperatures reaching the upper 70s during the day and the mid-50s at night. However, another storm could strike sometime between late Friday and early Saturday.

— E-mail: apridemore@register-herald.com