Strong winds knocked down billboard along Lincoln Highway East in Paradise Township early Friday.
The billboard at right was knocked down by high winds, causing wires to block Lincoln Highway East.
A sign was knocked down early Friday by high winds.
High winds folded back part of a barn roof along New Holland Road in Leacock Township early Friday.
High winds folded back part of a barn roof along New Holland Road in Leacock Township early Friday.
Heavy winds apparently knocked down a large billboard in Paradise Township early Friday, forcing the closure of Lincoln Highway East for several hours.
Those winds also were blamed for damaging a barn roof in Leacock Township.
Paradise Fire Company Chief Pat Cosgrove said the billboard fell around 3 a.m. in the 3300 block of Lincoln Highway East.
As it fell, it knocked down utility wires across both lanes of Lincoln Highway East.
The billboard came to rest on top of a trailer in a parking lot, Cosgrove said.
Lincoln Highway East was closed from Route 896 to Route 772 while fire crews waited for PPL workers to arrive to deal with the downed wires, Cosgrove said.
Scores of fire police were called in to direct traffic around the scene until Lincoln Highway East was reopened at 9 a.m.
In Leacock Township, high winds peeled back about half the roof on a barn at King's Hay Sales, 173 N. New Holland Road.
The roof remained on the building, and workers repaired it shortly after sunrise.
At Lancaster Airport, the top wind speed recorded during the overnight storm was 40 mph.
AccuWeather says the windy conditions will persist throughout the weekend, with highs Saturday and Sunday near 40 degrees.
preilly@lnpnews.com
