HIGH WINDS CREATE BUILDING DEBRIS

50 mph gusts cut electric power to 853 customers

A section of Jefferson Avenue was closed on Monday after parts of the former Caesar's Show Bar fell onto the street and sidewalk because of wind gusts. Inspectors will try to determine the extent of damage and the structure's integrity before reopening the street.

Daylong strong winds that produced gusts up to 50 mph on Monday were blamed for the loss of electricity to hundreds of Toledo Edison Co. customers and was responsible for closing a downtown street.

Hans Rosebrock, external affairs manger for Toledo Edison, said the utility restored service to 61 Monclova Township customers and 15 Toledo customers Monday afternoon.

A total of 853 customers lost power on Monday throughout Toledo Edison's coverage area, which includes the areas from Port Clinton to the Indiana border on the west and the Michigan border to the north of Toledo.

As of 8:30 p.m. Monday, all but 10 customers had regained power, Mr. Rosebrock said.

The National Weather Service said the highest wind gust of 50 miles per hour was recorded at 1:30 p.m. at Toledo Executive Airport, the former Metcalf Field in Lake Township.

The high winds were expected to ease overnight before dissipating today, the weather service said.

Strong winds were blamed for causing a rain of bricks to fall from the roof of the former Caesar's Show Bar, at Jefferson Avenue and Ontario Street prompting police to close portions of Jefferson in downtown Toledo.

Nobody was injured.

The incident occurred at 11:30 a.m., Toledo Fire Department Lt. Matt Hertzfeld said. Jefferson between Erie and Ontario streets will remain closed until investigators determine the building’s stability, he said.

The dilapidated, four-story vacant building, which has been closed for several years, was built in the late 1890s.

The extended forecast is expected to be uneventful throughout the rest of the week and into the weekend, with highs ranging from 41 on Wednesday to the coldest day on Sunday at 25 degrees, the National Weather Service reported.

There will be little to no precipitation through the week.

Staff writer Mark Reiter contributed to this report.