Paris, Tenn.–A microburst storm caused widespread damage in Henry County last night, including broken power poles, power outages to some 2,700 customers and downed trees. Among the downed trees was damage to a front portion of the historic oldest residence in Paris–the former home of the late piano teacher May Corum on Dunlap Street, shown in photo at the height of Thursday night’s storm. The Corum home was built in 1838.
Paris BPU officials said, “Just at the break of dawn this morning, our team was finishing up final storm restoration efforts. The wind damage was quite significant in many areas. Even so, the damage to the power grid could have been worse. We feel fortunate to have all power back on as our community awakes to a Friday morning. Your patience and kind words through the night are greatly appreciated.”
At the storm’s height, some 2,700 outages were reported due to high winds. As of a 9:30 p.m. update, five broken poles had to be replaced and BPU workers were having to cut their way into some roads to make repairs. As of 8:15 p.m., a total 2,000 customers in 29 different locations remained without power. Spotters and line workers were out all across the county assessing damage and restoring power.
Even with the significant damage caused by the storm, power has been restored to customers, BPU officials said this morning.
Photo: A tree fell on the front portion of the historic Corum home on Dunlap St. in Paris. Shannon McFarlin photo.