Wind deroofs Jackson building

Monday Storm Wreaks Havoc

A strong gust of wind lifted the roof of Christina Edmonds’ Main Street law office on Monday and tossed it into the street.  

Emergency crews received a call at approximately 1:10 p.m. on April 15 reporting a “roof on top of three vehicles” near the Breathitt County Judicial Center.  When the first responders arrived, they found a large section of metal roofing blocking the street between Court Street and Hogg Alley.

Crews searched the area to ensure no one was injured or trapped inside the vehicles.  Main Street was closed to traffic for the next two hours.

“There was not much we could do,” a firefighter said.  “The damage was done, and with the wind still blowing, there was a chance the roof could have moved again.”  Firefighters closed the area to ensure the safety of the public.

A large crowd of sidewalk observers gathered to take pictures and watch as the debris was removed to reopen the roadway.

“You don’t really see that every day,” an observer said while standing in front of the Courthouse on Monday as the City of Jackson crews cleared the debris.  “You never really expect that.”

The debris blocking the roadway was the newly installed green metal roof of the Edmonds’ Law Office.  According to officials, the roof had “not been installed long by a local contractor” and did not appear to be “screwed down to the roof.”

Three vehicles, including Ms. Edmonds, received minor damage in the incident.

The high winds on Tuesday were the remnant of another powerful storm system that moved through Breathitt County earlier this week.  A line of strong thunderstorms rolled through Breathitt County on Monday, April 7, bringing large hail, heavy rains, and damaging winds.  

In its wake, more than 1,200 residents were without power, and downed trees blocked several roadways.  Highway 30 West, Highway 52, and Highway 1098 sections of the county were the most impacted, but only minor damage was reported.

Riverside Christian School at Lost Creek used an NTI day on Tuesday due to the lack of electricity at the school.  On Wednesday morning, all power had been restored across the county, and road crews cleared away all of the fallen trees.

The storm system that caused the high wind warnings and destruction moved out of the area and exited the United States over the Atlantic Ocean.

Main Street was reopened at about 3:00 p.m.  There are no estimates for replacing the roof, and no one was injured in the incident.