CLEVELAND — After several days of stunning spring weather, changes have arrived in Northeast Ohio with some wickedly strong winds that whipped the region Friday morning.
The National Weather Service in Cleveland says winds of 25-35 mph were expected with gusts up to 60 mph possible, which is why all of Northeast Ohio was under a High Wind Warning throughout the morning. Those weather alerts have since expired.
“Keep in mind, a hurricane, a category 1, is 74 mph," 3News' Hollie Strano said Friday after reporting gusts had hit 63 mph in Mansfield. "So this is equivalent to a very strong tropical storm.”
The strong winds also triggered thousands of power outages throughout the region -- Summit and Cuyahoga counties were hit especially hard with the highest number of outages.
FirstEnergy told 3News on Thursday their teams were prepared for the windy conditions.
"We are monitoring the weather and our utility crews are prepared to respond to any potential outages caused by the incoming weather. Our storm prep is ongoing throughout the year. We complete equipment upgrades, maintenance, inspections and tree-trimming work throughout the year to reinforce our electric system in advance of the spring and summer storm season."
"In addition to having around-the-clock, all-hands-on-deck coverage following severe weather, FirstEnergy also has additional resources on standby to assist our line crews with any potential outages that might occur."
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