MEADVILLE — Crawford County “lucked out” Monday and early Tuesday, missing the full force of Hurricane Sandy’s remnants. Strong winds, heavy rainfall and snow, in some cases, swept into western Pennsylvania and surrounding states, but for the most part, Crawford County was spared the devastating effects.

“This was not one of those storms that gets worse the closer you are to the center,” said Julie Coates, meteorologist for WSEE-TV, Erie, referring to Sandy’s journey across Pennsylvania after it crashed into the nation’s East coast on Monday.

Sandy’s adverse weather effects pushed farther west than local meteorologists anticipated — thus hitting Ohio and even parts of West Virginia, Indiana and Michigan with heavier precipitation and winds than in Crawford County.

“The way the rain bond set up from this massive storm left Meadville with only about an inch of rainwater in 48 hours, when Erie got over 2 inches and Ashtabula got more than 3 inches,” said Coates.

The WSEE weather team tracked the storm from its origins in the Caribbean over the past week, noting its consistent size and that it maintained high winds spreading for up to 300 miles outside its center despite moving north to cooler waters, according to Coates.

“Typically, storms weaken and can even die out in lower temperatures because warm waters keep them energized,” she said. “We anticipated a small increase in size, but we didn’t expect it to upgrade closer to the coastline.”

Sandy’s bold approach brought fearful forecasts wherever she was expected to go. Expectations for Crawford County ranged from 3 to 5 inches of rainfall and up to 70 mile-per-hour winds, but the final figures ended up around 1 inch and wind gusts in the mid-40s mph range.

“Crawford County was kind of in a lull as the storm reached farther west,” Coates said. “We just got very lucky we missed the worst of the action.”

Winds measured at Erie International Airport peaked at approximately 43 miles per hour, according to the Crawford County Emergency Management Agency.

“Remnants of Sandy left the strongest damage near Lake Erie and other lake shores,” said Dennis Bray, meteorologist for the National Weather Service. “Heavy rains contribute to the ability of strong winds to break down trees.”

Despite damages not being as severe as they could’ve been, statements and releases from Allen Clark, director of Crawford County EMA, mentioned reports of more than 50 trees downed, blocking roads, spreading debris and causing some 1,000 power outages. Northwest Rural Electric Cooperative Association, based mainly in north-central Crawford County, reported power outages in the thousands.

Crawford County fire departments worked through Monday night to remove felled trees and resulting debris from roadways, Clark’s report said on Tuesday. And almost all power outages were restored by utility companies by Tuesday morning, it noted.

“Flooding was very minor, with only two state roads flooding,” according to EMA reports as of 4:30 p.m. Tuesday.

State Route 19 was left open with traffic disruptions as a result of high water on the road, and State Route 1041 closed from Garland Street in Centerville Borough to White Road in Rome Township.

As of Tuesday, Bray added, flood watches, wind warnings and other advisories were dropped by the National Weather Service, and no further storm bursts were expected to cause damage.

The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation also lifted travel advisories, including speed limit restrictions that had been in place on interstate roadways 90 and 79.

“The winds in Crawford County weren’t as strong as the ones coming off the lake,” Bray said. “But we still verified a lot of rain and wind in the area, which is typical of any pressure system moving across the state, not just hurricanes or their remnants.”

“We haven’t experienced any damages above average or out of the ordinary,” said Kevin Nicholson, director of Crawford County 911 Center, noting mostly calls over felled trees.

Local residents experienced minor flooding around areas like Meadville’s Fifth Ward, near Cussewago Creek, but not nearly in the range that was predicted.

“I’ve been trying to make sure my windows are shut, and I’ve probably got some flooding behind my trailer,” said Charles Drachslin of Asbury Manor East Trailer Park, Meadville, describing the minor amount of damage in an area of Fifth Ward that has seen its share of devastating high water in the past.

Asbury West resident Charles Steiner said he also experienced only minor flooding under his trailer and in his yard. “I’ve got about 8 inches under it,” he said. “But the yard’s like a swamp.”