(Gasp!)

Sudden, strong gusts of wind flung a large tree branch onto power lines along Arendell Avenue late last Wednesday afternoon.

The electrical lines dipped from their normal altitude above Arendell Avenue to the pavement in front of the Four Oaks bank - but the lines were not snapped. Leaves and smaller branches were also scattered across the road.

Firefighters and Zebulon Public Works employees used chainsaws, a cherry-picker and a dump truck to clear the street while police blocked off a half-mile of Zebulon's main drag amid the rush hour.

"I don't think but a couple of houses are without power, but there might be several along this street that are without cable or telephone service," Chris Ray, Zebulon's Public Works director, said.

Crews worked on the downed lines for two hours, Ray said. And afterward, "we never heard of any outages."

Thank goodness.