Strong winds: Downed trees, power outages, school announcements

Strong winds are causing major issues Friday morning. High wind warnings remain in effect for the entire viewing area until 11 a.m. Saturday. There have already been multiple 60 mph wind gusts recorded at the Roanoke-Blacksburg Regional Airport. 

More than 35,000 Appalachian Power customers have lost electricity across the Commonwealth. Dominion Power is also reporting considerable outages that are affecting over 2,000 customers in Southside. 

Click here for a breakdown of Appalachian Power outages.

In Wythe County, as many as 40 to 50 trees are down and power outages are reported, mainly near the I-77 corridor.

In Halifax County, at least 65 trees and 19 power lines are down. Two homes were damaged when trees fell on the structures. One of the homes was damaged when the tree fell on the garage.

In Pittsylvania County, at least 200 trees are down across the county and nearly 100 power lines are down. Much of the county is without power.

Click here for a breakdown of Dominion outages.

Dozens of downed trees are causing problems on the roadways. Most of these roads are not heavily traveled, but some main roads are affected. Route 29 South in Amherst County is blocked at Patrick Henry Highway. Route 60 West in Amherst County is also closed at East Monitor Road. Route 501 in Bedford County is closed in both directions near Eagle Circle. 

PHOTOS OF WIND DAMAGE ACROSS SOUTHWEST VIRGINIA

Look out for especially dangerous winds along I-77 in the Fancy Gap Mountain area of Carroll County. 

Several schools have altered their schedules due to weather. Click here if you cannot see the list.