Saturday, December 02, 2006

VANDALIA — VANDALIA — The high winds that swept the Miami Valley on Friday hit a Vandalia neighborhood particularly hard, causing heavy property damage and leaving some bizarre scenes behind.

Paul Taynor, a resident of Spartan Drive, awoke to the sound of wind. He walked outside to find a neighbor's 8-by-12-foot backyard shed straddling his truck in the driveway in front of his home.

"You could hear the noise from the wind," Taynor said. "I didn't even think about it, then I saw stuff flying around, came out, and here's this."

At the east end of the street, where Spartan meets Westhafer Road, a garage at 189 Westhafer was blown into the garage next door at 201 Westhafer, which was left leaning precariously.

The National Weather Service in Wilmington tracked wind bursts in the area that reached 58 mph.

But something a little stronger seemed to have hit Westhafer at Spartan, and then traveled east up Spartan.

Trees on Spartan were broken and partially uprooted, and awnings, siding — even a shed — went flying.

North of the subdivision, Robinette Park was filled with debris.

"I'm surprised it could do that much damage," Vandalia Communications Manager Rich Hopkins said.

Neighborhood residents were alerted about 6 a.m. by the city's Code Red telephone warning service that damaging winds and a power failure had affected about two dozen homes. Crews fixed downed power lines and restored power by Friday afternoon, Hopkins said.

No one was injured.