July came out in full force on the 5th.
With winds gusting at 50 miles per hour and a downpour of hail littering the area, nothing was safe.
‘There was damage to structures, vehicles, telephone poles and lines,? said Bob McArthur, Brandon fire chief. ‘The storm really beat us up.?
Local firefighters guarded the dangerous downed wires.
‘Luckily, there were no fires or injuries due to the storm,? said Steve McGee, Groveland Township fire chief.
Jonah Geller, executive director of Tamarack Camps, 4361 Perryville Road, said his campers barely noticed the strength of the storm.
‘The storm hit during dinner, when all of the campers were in the dining hall,? said Geller. ‘We just kept them there until it was safe.?
Tamarack Camps have about 600 campers and 275 staff members, all of whom were protected during the storm.
‘We worked with the fire department and DTE to make sure downed wires were taken care of. We have a lot of safety protocol, and we kept our priorities straight,? said Geller. ‘Safety is always first.?
Areas of the camp lost electricity and multiple trees were damaged, but camp life went on as soon as the storm cleared. With hail melting on the ground, campers went about their regular evening activities.
‘The storm really came at a perfect time for us, because everyone was already safe and indoors,? said Geller.
Despite the proportionally small amount of damage caused by the storm, McArthur knows that it could have been worse.
‘I would say it was a class 5 storm,? said McArthur.
Tornadoes are rated on a 0-6 Fujita Scale, the official classification system for tornado damage. The greater the number, the stronger the storm.
‘It was definitely severe,’McArthur said.