The Manchester Enterprise
A Heritage Newspaper
Weekly Publication
Summer storms pummel Southeast Michigan
Weekend showers leave Manchester area homes, businesses in the dark
By Ed Patino, Staff Writer
PUBLISHED: June 12, 2008
Strong storms rocked southeast Michigan over the weekend, leaving many local residents without power and causing damage to trees.
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According to DTE Energy, the Manchester area wasn't affected as much as parts of the Metro Detroit and Toledo areas, but several area residents were temporarily without power.
Local Weather Underground member Jack Summers said damage in Manchester was minimal.
"There were no big reports in Manchester, but I did see the fire department by a downed tree on M-52 Sunday," he said.
The storms hit Manchester in the evenings on Friday, Sunday and Monday. Summers, who operates a weather station from the Riverside Consign store on Main Street, reported no tornado warnings over the weekend, but issued severe thunderstorm warnings each day and tornado watches Friday and Sunday.
On Friday, Summers issued a tornado watch for the Manchester area around 3 p.m. A line of storms moved into the area later that evening, most of which stayed to the south along the Michigan-Ohio state line. Sunday's watch began at 2 p.m. during the Manchester High School graduation exercises and remained in effect until 8:30 p.m.
Severe thunderstorms moved into Washtenaw and Lenawee counties shortly after 5 p.m., about 90 minutes after the conclusion of the commencements.
There were reports of possible funnel clouds around the Toledo, Ohio area and sights of potential rotation, but no tornado touchdowns were reported.
"The highest wind gust we had Sunday was 19 mph and almost a half-inch of rain," Summers said. "The temperature was over 90 degrees Sunday and dropped to 67 degrees that night."
Sunday brought more thunderstorms and nearly an inch of rain in Manchester. The brunt of the storm once again went through Toledo and stayed east of Manchester.
According to Summers, drastic changes in temperature within a short time span can lead to potentially severe weather situations.
"When you have 15-20 degree changes in one day, you get the unstable air," Summers said. "Friday night it went from 91 degrees down to 71, and caused tornadoes. Monday there wasn't as much of a temperature difference, and we just had thunderstorms."
When each of the watches and warnings were issued, Summers sent out e-mails to members of the Downtown Manchester Business Association. He is planning to set up an e-mail list on his Web site that will provide weather alerts to local residents.
Staff Writer Ed Patino can be reached at 428-8173 or epatino@heritage.com.
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