Posted on Friday 23rd August 2024
Staffordshire highways crews have been working round the clock as high winds from Storm Lilian hit the county overnight and into this morning (Friday).
Winds of up to 52 mph—unusual for this time of year—swept through the county last night, causing power cuts and downed trees.
A total of 67 reports of downed trees across the county have been dealt with by highways crews, around 6 times the amount normally expected in a typical day this time of year. Crews will continue to be on hand to deal with any further disruption caused by high winds, which are due to peter out by the end of the day.
Staffordshire County Council Cabinet Member for Strategic Highways Mark Deaville said: “Our crews have been doing a fantastic job dealing with high winds and attending to the damage done by Storm Lillian. I spent some time this morning with one of our crews in Tean, and they are doing a great job and working with great urgency to get things cleared.
“We are normally used to this sort of weather in autumn and even into winter, definitely not in summer! But nevertheless our crews are always on hand and ready to deal with anything, and will continue to work throughout the day to clear any remaining debris from the road.
“Although Storm Lillian has cleared, it’s still quite windy out there in part of Staffordshire today, so our advice is if you are travelling, drive slowly and carefully and be aware of high-sided vehicles, especially on more exposed roads.
“Our crews will continue to monitor the situation and be ready to take action where needed.”