Gilbert and other East Valley cities experienced strong winds and light rain Saturday evening after the National Weather Service released a severe thunderstorm warning for east central Maricopa County.
A section of south Gilbert also lost power for several hours after strong winds knocked a power line into the roadway at Chandler Heights and Greenfield roads. The East Valley was spared rain expected from Dolly after the storm made a dramatic turn in Texas away from the state and was not a factor in the region’s weather.
Valerie Myers, a spokeswoman with the National Weather Service, said that Gilbert experienced 60 mile an hour wind gusts but only had less than a tenth of an inch of rain fall.
Myers also said that several parts of the East Valley experienced numerous ground lightning strikes, including Chandler and Sun Lakes.
Some Gilbert roadways were filled with debris after the strong winds, as well as the reported downed power line.
According to the Gilbert Fire Department, the power line held up traffic because of the live wires on the ground.
Salt River Project spokeswoman Patty Garcia-Likens said that areas between Gilbert and Greenway roads and Queen Creek and Riggs roads were experiencing power outages at 6:20 p.m., but the area was expected to regain power by 8:30 p.m.
There was an emergency thunderstorm warning for Sun Lakes near 6 p.m., but it was later cancelled after the storm had passed, Myers said.
