Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

Storm System Put To Use By Rescue Units

Storms raged through the area Thursday, but left little damage in their wake.

However, Thursday's inclement weather gave members of the Nevada County Rescue Unit a chance to see how the new weather radar computer system worked.

Davis Benton, a retired meteorologist from Cale, said the NCRU found out there are several things to be done with the department's communications system.

The radar, he said, did what it was supposed to do. "It wasn't a real severe situation," Benton said, "but we were under a tornado watch."

The weather, though just turned out to be thunderstorms, with lightning, heavy rains and winds gusting between 40 and 50 miles per hour.

The communication problem, Benton said, was the radio cut out several times. However, the NCRU, he added, was able to stay in contact with all area volunteer fire departments and emergency personnel.

Nevada County Judge James Roy Brown said little damage was done by the heavy rains and high winds.

There were reports of trees being down on several county roads, but no bridges were washed away because of flooding.

Electricity was out for a while in the Bluff City and Boughton areas.