Jan 10, 2016 2 min read

High winds that started late Sunday morning and continued through the afternoon and into the evening created problems on area roadways.

The 911 dispatch center went into storm mode, said Ron Sicchitano, deputy director of Washington County’s Department of Public Safety. A supervisor at the 911 center said early Sunday afternoon they were extremely busy. Any fire department called to an emergency was to designate a firefighter to monitor and handle radio communications to keep traffic on the air at a minimum during any emergency situations.

The National Weather Service reported top wind gusts of 53 mph in McMurray and 44 mph at Washington County Airport. The top gusts reported in the Monongahela Valley were 30 mph in North Charleroi and 33 mph in Donora.

A tree fell across a northbound lane of Interstate 79 just south of the Laboratory exit in Amwell Township about noon, briefly blocking one lane.

South Strabane Township police said power was out in the area of Route 19 and Racetrack Road. A tree was also down on Berry Road. North Strabane Township police said wires were down on Brehm Road and they received reports of several alarms that were most likely the result of the high winds. Cecil Township police also responded to several downed trees in multiple locations.

Chartiers Township police said a tree came down across the railroad tracks off Johnson Road. A crew from Norfolk & Southern Railroad will be out today to remove the tree from the tracks since no train was scheduled to go through the area.

State police dispatchers in both Belle Vernon and Waynesburg reported no problems with wind-related issues Sunday.

The weather service also warned roads could become dangerous overnight as temperatures were expected to drop into the teens.