By BECKY KISER
Hays Post

Wednesday morning’s storm with 80-plus-mph wind caused widespread damage across Hays, including the Hays Regional Airport south of town.

Construction materials from the HaysMed building on south Commerce Parkway (the former NEW call center) was blown east onto the nearby airport runways, according to Airport Manager Nathan Marcucci.

“Most of it was Styrofoam, but it still blew all over the airport,” Marcucci said.

Problems were compounded as other heavier debris “broke out a lot of the airport runway lights” and the airport was also without power early Wednesday morning.

“That turned off the navigation information for pilots so commercial flights had to be canceled,” Marcucci said.

By late afternoon, the airport’s automatic weather communication was back online, and planes were able to fly in and out of Hays. Most of the broken runway lights had also been replaced or the work was “in progress” by then.