It Was A Gravity Wave That Levelled Trees Across the Tennessee Valley on Monday

     The wind burst also snarled traffic on local railways.
     A Norfolk Southern crew headed for Trenton reported trees blocking the tracks around five thirty this morning.
     The locomotive couldn't stop and hit the trees.
     And we found trees that fell on the train itself.
     No one was hurt in the mishaps.
     Rail officials say it blocked traffic for awhile, But all tracks have been cleared by Monday evening.

    Downed trees also knocked out power for thousands of E-P-B customers today.
    In the Lookout Valley area, school was cancelled due to a lack of power.
     Along Adkins Road friends and neighbors came out to help -- at the Bryant residence.
     A large tree came down around 4:00 o'clock Monday morning, blocking the driveway and damaging the fence -- and a couple vehicles.

Vera Bryant\Homeowner: "The alarm on her car was going off and she came to check on it and the tree was over the cars. (laughs) So, that's it..."

     Power crews are restoring electricity in the area as quickly as possible.
     A few miles away on Lookout Mountain...
     Students were sent home early at Fairyland Elementary due to power and phone outages.

     Utility crews in Catoosa County kept busy today cleaning up after this mornings high winds.
     Customers of Ringgold Phone company lost service for several hours.
     Technicians repaired phone lines throughout the area including here on Three Notch Road off Battlefield Parkway.
     About 75 customers in outlying areas were affected.

     So what caused so much damage over a wide area?
     It wasn't a thunderstorm or a tornado.
     It was a gravity wave.
     Meteorologist Amy Katcher joins us now to explain what that is.