Courtesy of Mikalah WilsonA view of tree damage left after the storm system went through Holly Springs Tuesday night, April 28. Wind gusts were clocked as high as 60 miles per hour or more in the late evening storm. Tornado watches and warnings were issued as a result.
County endures wind, rain, damage in weeknight storm
Severe thunderstorms packing 60 mile-per-hour winds and more tore through Marshall County on Tuesday night, injuring a sheriff’s deputy, toppling power lines, and triggering a precautionary boil water notice for a part of Holly Springs.
The storm’s most significant impact occurred around 9:30 p.m. When a Marshall County sheriff’s cruiser was caught in a period of intense straight-line winds. Sheriff Kenny Dickerson said Deputy Justin Fox was driving on Interstate 22 near Victoria when his vehicle was struck by a gust, causing it to roll over twice.
Fox was taken to Methodist Olive Branch Hospital for treatment of minor injuries. He was later released, according to Dickerson.
The high winds also felled numerous trees and power lines across the county. While the Holly Springs Utility Department reported a number of outages Wednesday morning, an exact count of affected customers was not immediately available.
By Wednesday morning, the utility department issued a precautionary boil water notice for the west side of Holly Springs. The advisory affected residents on Highway 178 West, Hernando Road, Woodward Avenue, and the Red Banks area.
Under the notice, residents were instructed to bring water to a rolling boil for at least one minute before consumption or use in food preparation. The department also recommended using boiled or bottled water for brushing teeth, washing produce, and for pets.
The utility department stated that the alert will remain in effect until repairs are finalized and water quality testing confirms the system is safe. Officials have told residents not to resume normal water usage until a formal notification is issued. Boil water notice was later lifted.