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By Ryan Pfeil Mail Tribune December 11. 2014 7:36AM UPDATED: Overnight storm causes widespread damage A vicious storm system that brought a deluge of rain and significant winds to the Rogue Valley, knocking out power, pushing over trees and delaying classes for Ashland students. A tree crashed down on Madrone Street, narrowly missing a house and crushing a boat shelter. A shaken Jerry Nutter said a blue spruce he thinks was about 100 feet tall nearly killed him when it toppled about 7:30 a.m. Thursday. Instead, the thunderous crash merely awakened him as the tree brushed up against the room in which he had been sleeping at his home in the 1300 block of Madrone Street, just south of Southern Oregon University. "Whoa, what was that?!" Nutter recalled thinking. "I looked out and all could see was tree." The tree's trunk and voluminous branches did crush a portable boat shelter in his driveway, but even there Nutter lucked out: He recently sold the boat and the shelter was empty. Downed trees were seen on the SOU campus and at Chautauqua Trace of Tolman Creek Road. Pacific Power reported nearly 16,000 Rogue Valley customers lost power because of storm-related damage. Residents of Ashland, Central Point, Eagle Point, Medford, Talent and White City have been affected, according to the company's website. Service had been restored for all but 1,422 residents by Thursday afternoon. The Ashland School District's website reported classes were delayed two hours this morning. Numerous calls for service for power line problems and downed lines have been reported. Emergency Communications of Southern Oregon's Twitter account shows emergency crews responded to 14 power line-related problems between 5 and 7:20 a.m. The Oregon Department of Transportation reports a downed tree blocked both lanes of Highway 66 near the Greensprings Inn, three miles west of Pinehurst. ODOT spokesman Gary Leaming said winds also pushed a commercial truck over as it drove at 7 a.m. on Highway 140 near Meridian Road. The vehicle crashed into another commercial truck. Leaming said ODOT crews have been kept plenty busy responding to calls for debris in the road, but that crews are staying on top of it. "They're chasing lots of trees and debris, but most of it's pretty minor," Leaming said. "(But) I think the day will present challenges." The National Weather Service was one of the entities affected by the outages. Meteorologists said their building was running on generator power for about an hour. ODOT officials said their White City facility was also running on generator power for a short time. Weather Service officials said more than an inch of rain has fallen over the past 24 hours in Jacksonville, with reports of half an inch to an inch reported in Ashland, one-fifth of an inch reported in Medford, and about four-tenths of an inch reported in Eagle Point. Wind gusts have hit about 45 mph in Medford and Ashland, with sustained speeds of 20 to 25 mph. "Medford's been pretty gusty," meteorologist Misty Duncan. "It seems like we're getting these little spots of gusty winds coming down off the Siskiyous." All airline flights between San Francisco and Medford have been canceled at the Medford airport, per their website. A high wind warning remains in effect for Ashland and Talent today, with southeast sustained winds of up to 40 mph and 60 mph gusts forecast. A wind advisory is in effect for Medford, Central Point, Jacksonville, White City, Eagle Point, and portions of Shady Cove. Sustained wind speeds are expected to reach 20 to 30 mph with 50 mph gusts in the advisory areas. "Strong south winds will be hazardous to travel both by vehicle and on foot," a Weather Service message reads. "Tree damage is likely and any loose material will become a projectile that could cause further damage. Reach reporter Ryan Pfeil at 541-776-4468 or [email protected] . Follow him at www.twitter.com/ryanpfeil . http://www.dailytidings.com/article/20141211/NEWS/141219951 © 2015 Copyright © 1995-2011 Crain Communications Inc. All Rights Reserved. Terms of Use Privacy Statement -->