Heavy thunderstorms cause flash flooding, disrupt power, down trees across county

STAFF REPORT

Sunday, Sept. 1, 2013, 4:30 p.m. — Heavy thunderstorms that rolled through the area Saturday night and Sunday morning overwhelmed storm drains in some areas of Bardstown, blew down trees and limbs and downed powerlines across parts of Nelson County.

The heavy winds led to power outages Saturday night from trees and tree limbs taking down power lines. About 1,000 Salt River Electric customers in the Louisville Road area lost power about 9:15 p.m. Saturday, with power restored to most customers by 3:20 a.m. Sunday.

Torrential rainfall Saturday night overwhelmed the storm drains on North Third Street by Conway-Heaton, flooding the roadway for a period of time.

The high winds toppled trees and large limbs on Houck Drive off Bloomfield Road, West Forrest Avenue, near Third and Broadway, North Pulliam Avenue in the city of Bardstown, and Bloomfield Road at its intersection with Stringtown Road, Ora Brent Road off Pottershop Road and near the intersection of Poplar Flat and Summers Lane.

Sunday morning, much of downtown Bardstown lost power due to the lost of one or more transformers and a power outage by the city’s electric supplier, Kentucky Utilities at about 9 a.m. Most of the traffic lights around downtown were disabled by the outage, creating a traffic hazard at the city’s busiest intersection, KY 245 and US31E. Power was restored to most of the affected areas just before noon.

The storms kept the Bardstown Fire Department busy overnight as they responded to fire alarms triggered by power surges, power outages and sparking, downed power lines.

firefighters responded at 9:20 Saturday evening for a report of a tree on fire. Firefighters found a power line down and remained on scene until utility crew arrived. Firefighters later responded to a report of a power line arcing and a tree on fire on Demaree Drive. Power surges and outages activated fire alarms across the area as well. Bardstown firefighters responded to active fire alarms overnight at: a home on Mary Jo Boulevard; the Bardstown Baptist Church; Nelson County Animal Control; and the Bardstown United Methodist Church on East Flaget Avenue.

-30-