Powerful wind gusts exceeding 50 mph made their way through State College Wednesday, shutting down roads and causing power outages in several downtown apartment buildings.

AccuWeather meteorologist Andrew Mussolini said the highest wind gust reported Wednesday was 53 mph.

"There were numerous tree limbs reported down around the county and lights flickering most of the day," Mussolini said.

Allegheny Power spokesman Mark Nitowski said more than 6,100 customers had experienced power outages in the State College area as a result of the high winds. As of press time, about 5,700 customers had their power restored and 475 were still experiencing an outage, he said.

On campus, students were warned of hazards caused by the high winds through PSUTXT and e-mail. The text message service -- used for the first time this academic year -- was issued in response to flying debris coming from Beaver Stadium, where scoreboards are undergoing renovation.

Panels of the south end scoreboard had been loosened for replacement and carried up and out of the stadium by the winds, Penn State spokeswoman Annemarie Mountz said.

One panel landed in the street, while another fell to a parking lot near the Bryce Jordan Center. At least one car was damaged by the debris, Mountz said.

Parts of Porter Road were blocked off Wednesday and several Centre Area Transportation Authority (CATA) buses were rerouted because of the debris and high winds. Stops in front of the Bryce Jordan Center on Curtin Road and east of Lot 44 on Porter Road were closed until the wind advisory ended, according to Penn State Live.

Authorities also closed Curtin Road from University Drive to Porter Road until 8 p.m. Wednesday, Penn State Police Capt. Bill Moerschbacher said.

The high gusts caused power lines to fall, which shut down several traffic lights on Beaver Avenue and power to several downtown apartments, including Park Hill, 478 E. Beaver Ave., Nicholas Tower, 301 S. Pugh St., and University Gateway, 616 E. College Ave. Lights flickered in several buildings on campus, including Willard Building and the Forum.

Ian Wixted said he was in his University Gateway apartment studying for his nutrition exam when the power went out for about one hour.

"It was really annoying because I was waiting to watch the Phillies game," Wixted said.

State College Police Department Lt. Chris Fishel said many State College residents placed calls regarding the high winds Wednesday.

"There were garbage cans all over my lawn this morning," Fishel said. "We had more weather-related calls due to the wind."

Mussolini said residents can expect more wind gusts today, but they won't be nearly as strong as they were Wednesday.