Estimated read time: 1-2 minutes
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
Samantha Hayes reportingFierce winds whip up all kinds of destruction, including downed trees, fires, and a capsized boat.
One word describes today's weather -- windy. And it wasn't just kicking up dust.
The wild shift in the weather created dangerous situations for residents and commuters.
When wind like this whips through the valley, look out below-- for falling signs, power polls, and trees.
Neal Wilkinson: "It's like all of a sudden you know, there's a little wind and then a tree in the back yard."
Neal Wilkinson was mowing his lawn when the wind picked up and a tree came down.
Neal: "It came down with such force, I thought this porch was going to fall on me."
Wind gusts along I-80 blew a semi right over into the water, and the interstate was closed in both directions near Wendover because of poor visibility.
In Tooele County, high winds whipped up a haystack fire that had been smoldering for a month.
And in Sandy wind and fire caused significant damage to the upper level of a home.
Nelson Pfleger/ Homeowner: "Everything caught. The fence, and then it got the house."
Firefighters say that a breaker on an electrical line shorted out and with the wind, it didnt take any time at all for sparks to hit the yard and spread to the house.
And a sailor on the Great Salt Lake was no match for today's wind. His sailboat capsized.
John Rock says he's been in wind before, but nothing quite like today's. Both John and his four-legged first mate are fine.
