Sudden summer storm spikes Night Out, kills power

PHOTO FROM NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FACEBOOK PAGE

The National Weather Service is doing damage surveys in Ohio from the recent storm and is sharing results such as the one above from the Brook Park-Bedford area.

By BOB MOREHEAD
BGNN senior staff writer

As what was left of Hurricane Debbie wrought havoc in the Mid-Atlantic region Aug. 6, the Barberton Norton area had its own weather problems to contend with.
A powerful cold front rolled through, dropping temperatures, dumping rain, triggering tornado warnings and toppling trees, which in turn cut power for thousands.
“We’ve experienced some power outages across the community,” Barberton Mayor William Judge told BGNN. “Downed tree limbs and scattered debris due to the wind, but no major damage and no reports of flooding. The rain rate was approximately 1 inch per hour.”
Judge said the storm came and left quickly and spared the myriad construction projects dotting the Magic City any damage.
A few vendors at the Barberton Farmers’ Market suffered damage to their awnings from the gales and Main Street Barberton canceled its long-anticipated National Night Out event out of caution.
“We had many trees down and electrical power outages,” Norton city administrator Dennis Loughry, whose crews had to close a couple streets that day from downed trees and power lines, said. “Our safety forces and street department employees answered the call as
they always do and did excellent jobs respectively and collectively. It was excellent night of teamwork.”