Thunderstorm knocks out power to Valley

A thunderstorm left a trail of downed power lines across northern Douglas County that plunged parts of Gardnerville and Minden into darkness for hours on Friday.

A transformer on Esaw Street exploded when it was hit by lightning as the storm rolled into the northern Valley.

Nearly 50 homes were without power in the upper Stephanie Way neighborhood at about 5 p.m. and the power to Gardnerville was interrupted.

East Fork Fire Capt. Terry Taylor said he witnessed the strike and that it blew out the bottom of the transformer, emitting a glowing shower of molten copper.

A second strike damaged cross arms and a transformer on Nye Drive taking out power to about a dozen homes in that neighborhood.

Two more strikes hit power poles along Heybourne Road near the Carson Valley Waste Water Treatment Plant. One pole was burned in half by the strike.

The storm knocked out power to Minden and Gardnerville at about 5:30 p.m. The traffic light at Highway 395 and Sixth Street in Minden was down.

Gardnerville residents reported their power was restored within two hours.

At least some Minden homes near County Road and Highway 88 did not have their power restored until around 8:30 p.m.

Taylor said a vehicle was struck by lighting along East Valley Road. The driver was uninjured, but the vehicle's electronics were fried.

Lighting followed the storm as it travelled in a line from East Valley Road northwest to Hotsprings Mountain.

A heavy thunderstorm warning was issued for Gardnerville.