Thunderstorms that rolled through the region Saturday brought damaging winds that knocked down trees and utility lines, leaving thousands of people across Hampton Roads without power. One person died after a car hydroplaned on a wet U.S. 13 on the Eastern Shore, the state police reported.
The crash occurred about seven miles north of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel, where officials issued a Level 2 wind advisory because of gusts up to 47 mph, according to a recorded message. Several different types of vehicles were not being allowed to cross the span.
The National Weather Service issued a high wind advisory that was expected to last until midnight.
Gusts of 40 to 55 mph had been reported in Norfolk, said Keith Lynch, a meteorologist at the weather service. Wires were down around the region, police dispatchers reported. In Norfolk, downed power lines at Heutte Drive and Shore Drive caused firefighters to block the intersection.
At 4:30 p.m. Saturday, Dominion Virginia Power was reporting on its Web site that more than 17,700 of its customers were without electricity. Shortly before 7 p.m., the number of outages had increased by nearly 1,000 customers.
At 6:30 p.m., a message on the power company's Web site said that 48,000 homes and businesses were powerless in the central part of the state, while about 37,000 customers were waiting for power to be restored in Northern Virginia.
"Service restoration will extend beyond the weekend for some areas," the message on the company's site said.
Crews primarily were responding to emergencies, the message said. The company plans to have crews working all day today.
Winds were expected to decrease overnight, Lynch said.
"It still may be a little breezy at the start," he said.
Temperatures should reach a high near 54 today, with winds of 13 to 20 mph, according to the weather service.
Cindy Clayton, (757) 446-2377, cindy.clayton@pilotonline.com
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