High winds delay move of Cape Girardeau Habitat for Humanity house

High winds delayed today's planned move of a Habitat for Humanity house down Broadway to its new location at 1640 N. Main St.

Cape Area Habitat for Humanity leaders had arrived at the parking lot near the Southeast Missouri State University campus early today to prepare for the move. However, wind gusts were forecast to reach as high as 47 miles per hour, forcing the organization's leaders to delay the move until Wednesday morning.

Area Habitat executive director Lowell Peterson said winds must have been gusting to less than 10 miles per hour for the move to safely take place. He said the gusty winds could have torn the roof off the home and spun the structure in the air as it was suspended by cables attached to a crane to lower it onto its foundation at the new location.

Wednesday's forecast is partly sunny, with winds gusting to between three and nine miles per hour. Volunteers - mostly students from Southeast - built the exterior of the home over the past several weeks on a parking lot at 920 Broadway.

Look for more on this story later in the day at semissourian.com and in Wednesday's edition of the Southeast Missourian.