Storms blast through our area
Posted By RichC on June 4, 2008
Tuesday night we had a series of severe storms make their way through our area (north of Cincinnati) and spawn rotational winds as well as 90 mph straight-line blasts. Thankfully there was significant warning and we was able to get a few things put away at home to prevent damage … but we did head for the basement about 9 PM. Most of the 3-4 inches in an hour rains were to our north and west, but we experienced plenty of lightning and thunder. As sirens blared and people for the most part took cover while they watched the television coverage and checked on their friends and family by phone. Within a 5 minute period of the initial cells passing over our house I received 5 phone calls from family and friends noting where the storms were located. In hindsight, the fierceness of the storm dissipated just prior to hitting our area, but then less violent cells continued to sweep through all night long. In fact as the Treo cellphone photo shows (click photo for larger), the ominous clouds and dark skies continue, as does a tornado watch.
Snipet from a Cincinnati Enquirer article:
Trees and wires were downed across Hamilton County and Cincinnati. The storm knocked down wires in Hyde Park on streets such as Observatory and Paxton avenues and Madison and Stettinus roads. Several streets are closed due to downed trees including Delta and Observatory.
About 8 a.m., winds destroyed a roof at Woody Sander Ford, 235 W. Mitchell Ave., in Spring Grove Village. No injuries were reported, and only a few vehicles suffered damage, but the building sustained about $75,000 worth of damage, city officials said.
“We got off real lucky there,” said Kyle Sanders, a salesman.
Duke Energy crews have been called to numerous locations.
A tree was reported down into a house in the 1500 block of Glen Parker Avenue in Northside. Electrical wires also are down. It is not known if they are live or if anyone was injured.
A transformer in the 1500 block of Central Avenue was struck by lighting and burst into flames.
This latest batch of storms follows waves of severe thunderstorms that ripped through Greater Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky on Tuesday, with the worst of the storms hitting Butler and Warren counties.
Tuesday night, several funnel clouds were reported, mostly in Oxford and Mason, but no tornadoes have been confirmed touching down, according to the National Weather Service in Wilmington and county dispatchers. Tornado sirens shrieked in communities such as West Chester Township about 9:30 p.m. as some residents took shelter in their basements.
A Waynesville woman was taken to Miami Valley Hospital in Dayton after lightning struck her house in the 900 block of Windfield Way at 8:19 p.m. Tuesday, said Wayne Township Fire Chief Paul Scherer.
The woman, who was standing in her bedroom at the time, suffered pain throughout her body from the strike, he said. She does not have life-threatening injuries. Her name and age was not released. Other relatives were home at the time, but they were not injured, the fire chief said.
Claire Wagner, a spokeswoman for Miami University in Oxford, said several hundred people attending a graduation for Hamilton High School about 9 p.m. Tuesday were held in Millett Hall due to the severe weather.
Incoming Miami freshmen and their parents going through orientation also were held in basements of other buildings for safety.
“For the intensity of the storm, there seems to not be any damage right now,†said Chris Warren, an Oxford police dispatcher.
Since the storms began Tuesday afternoon, more than 50,000 people lost power at some point, mostly in Hamilton County, according to Duke Energy’s website.
As of 2:10 a.m., 7,150 people remained without power, with the largest numbers in Clermont and Hamilton counties.
In Union County, Indiana, which is located just west of Oxford, Ohio, police are investigating an unconfirmed report that a tornado may have touched down at about 8:54 p.m. Tuesday, according to the weather service.
U.S auto companies have been suffering and even the ‘rising sun’ of Toyota has had sales pains. Most of the pain has been felt by U.S. automakers as consumers don’t want gasoline thirsty pickups and sport utility vehicles in the face of $4.00/gallon pump prices. General Motors, Ford Motor and Chrysler LLC have depended on the pickup and SUV buyer and are ill prepared to weather higher priced fuels and inflationary prices over the short term. Long term, they have been reluctant to replace there larger vehicles with efficient models although 
“Having made a swift 3 hours 15 minutes turnaround in Palau, Earthrace encountered some sea debris, which has damaged the port prop. The boat returned to port where the prop was removed and the drive shaft tested. The shaft has been put out of line and will require repair in Singapore. Earthrace left Palau at 0400 local time and will journey to Singapore on one engine. Her reduced speed of 16 kn will still maintain her lead on the current record, and help mitigate any further damage from possible sea debris, which is a known problem in this stretch of water. Ground Crew will arrive in Singapore on Monday 2nd June as planned, and will prepare for the repairs. The weather forecast is good and the revised ETA for Earthrace in Singapore is Friday 6th June.”
It has been a busy few days getting ready for a well attended open house, 
Although I’m not rewriting my Memorial Day post (frustrated that it has been lost after I posted Sunday night — grrr), I will include the 11 minute clip from CBS telling the history of Arlington Memorial Cemetery. On Monday, President Bush paid tribute to America’s service personnel who died in service to their country at this hallowed cemetery. “It is a solemn reminder of the cost of freedom that the number of headstones in a place such as this grows with every new Memorial Day,” said President Bush. “In a world where freedom is constantly under attack and in a world where our security is challenged, the joys of liberty are often purchased by the sacrifices of those who serve a cause greater than themselves.”
