Windstorm knocks out power, downs trees across Anchorage

Windstorm knocks out power, downs trees across Anchorage

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (KTUU) - Strong winds in the Anchorage area took out trees and were responsible for multiple power outages on Thursday. Several trees were reported down in the Turnagain neighborhood. A Sand Lake resident who woke to find a huge tree on her front lawn was advertising free firewood for anyone willing to bring a chainsaw and cut it themselves.

The National Weather Service issued a wind advisory that went into effect Wednesday evening through Thursday afternoon. Winds were clocked at up to 53 miles per hour on some sections of the Hillside and up to 47 miles per hour at the Anchorage Airport. By late Thursday afternoon they had started to die down.

The winds were enough to keep some pilots on the ground at Lake Hood, including Gerry Moriarty who was checking the tiedowns on several planes there.

“I’ve got no need to fly today,” Moriarty said. “And I don’t need to be up in this weather. The wind’s supposed to die down and it’s supposed to be really nice so I’ll wait until tomorrow to go flying.”

The wind also contributed to power outages in Anchorage and Mat-Su including one in midtown Anchorage that lasted for several hours. Traffic lights were out at several busy intersections. At one midtown mall, Altura Bistro owner Nate Bentley said the loss of power translated to the loss of a couple thousand dollars in business as he had to turn customers away.

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