High Winds Cause Damage, at Least 1 Death in Kentucky

September 16, 2008

High winds from the remnants of Hurricane Ike are being blamed for at least one death in Kentucky.

Shelby County Deputy Coroner Janet Morris says 10-year-old Frederick Wilson died Sept. 14 after being struck by a large limb while mowing his family’s yard at Simpsonville.

The tropical-storm-force winds that battered Kentucky caused several injuries. Morris says a father and daughter were injured when a tree fell on their car in Shelbyville.

The National Weather Service says wind gusts of 75 mph were reported in Louisville and western Kentucky.

The winds downed trees and power lines, leaving hundreds of thousands of people without power. Utility crews are working to restore power.

Damage was so extensive that Gov. Steve Beshear declared a state of emergency.

Many schools in Kentucky were closed Sept. 15 because they had no electricity.