Following a string of warm, sunny days seen in the area the last few weeks, many of us got our hopes up and imagined that, at long last, summer had actually arrived in southwest Michigan.

Last Friday, though, residents across the region received a shocking, thunderous reminder that the storm clouds haven’t quite cleared for the season.

A powerful thunderstorm wreaked havoc across several local communities late Friday night, including Dowagiac.

Local meteorologists reported that, in addition to lightning and heavy rain, winds between 45-50 miles per hour ripped through the area during the storm.

Indiana Michigan Power reported that between 500-2000 homes were left without power in the county following the storm, though the outages were taken care of by Saturday.

The storm was the latest severe downpour to hit the greater Dowagiac area during the summer, which has seen many uncharacteristically wet and mild days these last few months.

Last month, the area was battered with another massive storm, with several Dowagiac residents posting pictures online of hailstones that were nearly the size of quarters. Some storms carrying heavy wind damage, like the one Friday night, have cause fallen trees and other severe damage to homes, vehicles and other personal property.

People undergoing power outages for extensive periods of time also accrue significant monetary losses when food goes bad and has to be thrown away, or when they have to check into hotels during especially long outages.

With the national weather service predicting more thunderstorms to hit the area through Thursday, we wanted to remind readers of some of the precautions the Michigan State Police recommends households take in the event of severe weather:

• Identify the lowest place to take shelter in your home. If a basement does not exist, find an interior hallway away from windows, doors and outside walls.

Go under something sturdy — such as a workbench or stairwell — when taking shelter in the basement or designated spot.

• Prepare for a power outage by filling plastic containers with water and placing them in the refrigerator and freezer. Cold water bottles will help keep food cool during a power outage and can also be used for drinking water.

• Charge cell phones and other wireless communication devices.

• Secure outdoor objects that could be blown around, such as garbage cans and patio furniture.

• Sign up to receive text or email alerts from your local news media or emergency management agency. Plan a way to stay tuned to commercial radio or television broadcasts for news on changing weather conditions or approaching storms.

• Ensure emergency preparedness kits are fully stocked with enough food, water and other supplies to last 72 hours per person. Double-check to ensure there are supplies for your pets.

• Check the weather before leaving for a destination. If the weather forecast looks dangerous, reschedule or postpone the driving trip.

We encourage readers to follow these precautions in the coming days.

Good luck, and try to keep dry.

 

Opinions expressed are those of the editorial board consisting of Publisher Michael Caldwell and editors Ambrosia Neldon, Craig Haupert, Ted Yoakum and Scott Novak.