Hurricane-force winds in Utah flip 45 semitrucks, kill 1 person as thousands remain without power
Some 66,000 customers were still without power in the Salt Lake City area
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Tens of thousands remain without power in Utah after hurricane-force winds blasted portions of the state earlier this week, causing major damage and killing one person, according to officials.
Wind gusts of nearly 100 mph roared through Salt Lake City on Tuesday as a system that caused a snowstorm over the Rockies gave the state a 40-degree temperature drop.
The Utah Highway Patrol (UHP) said at least 45 semitrucks were blown over by the windstorm, including several high-profile vehicles.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}STRONG WINDS HIT UTAH, SPARKING POWER OUTAGES AND SCHOOL CLOSURES
A trooper from the UHP captured video of a truck tipping over on Interstate 15.
Hurricane-force winds toppled semitrucks across Utah on Tuesday. (Utah Highway Patrol)
UHP Lt. Nick Street told KJZZ-TV that four truck drivers were taken to hospitals with injuries.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The winds caused severe property damage and killed at least one person.
Officials said that drivers were ignoring restrictions in place for high-profile vehicles due to the gusty winds.
Those winds in excess of 90 mph downed trees and damaged property around Salt Lake City.
A semi rests on its side after after high winds toppled it on Interstate 15 Tuesday, Sept. 8, 2020, near Bountiful, Utah. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer)
Rocky Mountain Power told FOX13 it has restored power for more than 100,000 customers who lost service, but more than 66,000 still remain without power as of Thursday morning.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"Restoration efforts continue around the clock. Customers without service should prepare to be without power through the night and into Thursday," a message on Rocky Mountain Power's website said.
Residents look at a downed power pole that was blown over in high winds on Tuesday, Sept. 8, 2020, in Hyrum, Utah. (Eli Lucero/The Herald Journal via AP)
Farmington City declared a state of emergency on Wednesday after the winds caused severe property damage and killed at least one person.
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{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Truck driver Donald Hardy, 61, was delivering a shipment from Tennessee to a business in South Salt Lake when the wind knocked him to the ground.
People survey the damage after high winds caused widespread damage and power outages Tuesday, Sept. 8, 2020, in Salt Lake City. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer)
The South Salt Lake Fire Department told FOX13 the cargo door on Hardy's semitruck thrust open suddenly due to the wind, causing him to hit his head on the pavement
His wife, Alissa-Joy Hardy, witnessed the deadly incident, calling it a “freak accident.” Hardy and her husband had been living on the road for the past 15 months, according to FOX13.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}“We lived in a truck smaller than a tiny house. We were together 24 hours a day, 365 days a year,” she told FOX13. “His feet were flying like a kite…He was dead instantly.”
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The early season winter storm that brought snow, record cold temperatures and gusty winds over parts of the Rockies and Central High Plains is finally easing up.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Forecast high temperatures for Thursday, Sept. 10, 2020. (Fox News)
The blast of Arctic air is now starting to moderate and rebound to more seasonal highs Friday through the weekend.
The national forecast for Sept. 10, 2020. (Fox News)
Fox News' Janice Dean, James Rogers, and the Associated Press contributed to this report.