Paithoon Mahachuienjai said strong winds felled the power poles along Narai-Chaiyaphum Road, resulting in a near district-wide blackout. 
Utility repair workers were rushing to restore power, he said, and the situation was expected to return to normal by 3pm Friday. 
Several power poles fell on vehicles and houses, causing damage that has yet to be tallied, Paithoon told reporters after touring the area with other officials. 
He estimated that it was the heaviest storm damage the district had seen in 50 years.

Lights out in Chaiyaphum as storm fells power poles

A fierce thunderstorm with high winds, heavy rain and hail knocked down about 50 utility poles and damaged 100 houses in Chaiyaphum’s Bamnej Narong district on Thursday night, the district chief said.