Storms knock out power, block roads, cause damage; meteorologist says winds may have reached 100 m.p.h.

The storm felled a large tree, blocking South Winter Street. (Photo from Midway Fire Department)

The Midway area suffered extensive damage Friday afternoon from a thunderstorm that brought high winds and heavy rain. Many people in Midway and the rest of Woodford County lost power, and stop lights were out. A flash flood warning was issued for the county at 10:40 p.m., until 1:15 a.m.

South Winter Street (US 62) was blocked by fallen trees, prompting the county ambulance service to move an ambulance from Versailles to the Midway Fire Department. Old Frankfort Pike was closed at fire gates 69 and 79, Woodford County Emergency Management reported.

Midway Mayor Grayson Vandegrift and the county government declared a state of emergency. "Crews will be working to clean up well into the night," the Midway Fire Department reported on Facebook.

At 11:17 p.m. Kentucky Utilities reported that 824 of its 2,061 customers in the Midway ZIP code were without power. Here's a screenshot, with the legend pasted in, of the Midway area on the LGE-KU electric outage map at 10:50 p.m. For a larger version of the map, click on it.

Lexington's airport reported three instances of winds reaching 70 miles per hour, WKYT-TV reported. Meteorologist Chris Bailey said the damage to large trees in Woodford County indicated that winds may have reached as high as 100 miles per hour in the county.

The old city dump is at fire gate 24 on Old Frankfort Pike.

Vandegrift announced that the former city dump site on Spring Station Road will be open to allow residents to dispose of fallen tree limbs. "The site is about a mile and a half past the Midway Cemetery, at fire gate 24," Vandegrift said. "We will leave it open for seven to 10 days."