After battering the Texas and Louisiana coasts, what was left of Hurricane Ike turned its destruction toward the Mississippi and Ohio River valleys, leaving a trail of damage that left its mark on Crittenden County.Around the county, downed trees and power lines seemed to be the worst of the harm left by the remnants of Ike as its passed through western Kentucky as a tropical depression. No injuries have been reported, but some areas of the county could be without power for as long as 48 hours according to Wesley Cullen, a dispatcher at Marion Police Department, which had been operating on backup generator power until about 6 p.m.
Little rain fell on Crittenden County, but steady, strong winds in the morning left tree limbs, roof shingles and other debris strewn across Marion and rural areas.
In fact, in town, several homes suffered serious damage from uprooted trees, including one on East Depot Street (pictured above) that smashed a carport and two vehicles under the weight of a felled tree. Sporadic power outages occurred inside Marion, with pockets of the city without power as dark fell. The stoplight at Gum and Main streets remained inoperative all day long.
Despite power outages and roads hampered by downed trees or limbs, schools will be in session Monday with buses traveling where possible, according to District Director of Pupil Personnel and Transportation Al Starnes. No serious damage or power outages appear to have occurred at any of the county's three schools.
Across western Kentucky, including Crittenden County, road and utility crews worked into the dark removing trees from roads and power lines.
The Crittenden Press welcomes your reports or photos of extensive damage from Tropical Depression Ike. E-mail your photos or information at pressnews@the-press.com. Please include your name and location.
