Mother nature is showcasing her full fury in the United States. The country recently battled the devastating wildfires in Hawaii and destructive Hurricane Hilary. On Thursday and Friday, Michigan and Ohio faced thunderstorms which caused power outages and huge economic losses. According to a report by AP, citing the poweroutage.us website, more than 420,000 customers in Michigan and over 215,000 in Ohio were without power as of 7:30 a.m. on Friday.
Death and destruction in Michigan
The wind speeds in Michigan were estimated to be 75 mph (121 kph) which uprooted trees, caused damage to buildings and resulted in the death of five persons. Due to the stormy conditions, several vehicles overturned on Interstate 96 on Thursday night.
According to the National Weather Service Offices in Detroit and Grand Rapids, a tornado hit Williamston, Michigan, in Ingham County at about 9:30 p.m on Thursday. As per reports, one person died and several people were severely injured.
“Once I felt that sucking, I could just feel the power of it, and I could feel it all shaking, I could feel the roof shaking and coming apart,” James Gale, a caretaker of 14 people told WXYZ-TV as quoted by AP.
In western Michigan, a head on collision between two vehicles took place amid heavy rain on Thursday night. The Kent County Sheriff's Office informed that a 21-year-old woman and two girls, aged 1 and 3, died in the mishap. A 22-year-old man sustained serious injuries in the accident.
{{/usCountry}}In western Michigan, a head on collision between two vehicles took place amid heavy rain on Thursday night. The Kent County Sheriff's Office informed that a 21-year-old woman and two girls, aged 1 and 3, died in the mishap. A 22-year-old man sustained serious injuries in the accident.
{{/usCountry}}Impact of the thunderstorm in Ohio
Due to heavy rainfall caused by the thunderstorms, northern Ohio is facing the threat of floods. Strong winds caused hundreds of trees to fall and led to power outages in the state.