The hum of generators, the buzzing of chainsaws and the roar of wood chippers filled the air Monday morning in the aftermath of the weekend’s severe storms.
High winds, lightning and drenching rains rolled through around 5 p.m. Sunday leaving in their wake numerous downed power lines, uprooted and split trees, and plenty of scattered limbs and branches.
As of 8:30 a.m. Wednesday, June 11, about 2,000 Oxford customers and approximately 1,100 Addison customers were still without power, according to DTE Energy Spokesman John Austerberry.
As of Wednesday morning, about 85,000 county residents were still without electricity, Austerberry reported.
‘Our schedule for the restoration of the vast majority of customers is midnight Thursday, but we expect we’ll still have some customers that are going to be without power going into Friday,? said DTE Spokesman Len Singer.
During Sunday’s severe storms, the National Weather Service Detroit/Pontiac Forecast Office reported 60 mph winds in Pontiac, 64 mph winds in Troy and 80 mph winds in Walled Lake.
Fire Chief Jack LeRoy noted these were probably the worst straight-line winds he’s ever seen. From up at the high school on N. Oxford Rd., the chief watched the storms move from Dunlap Rd. to his location (about 1? miles) in just 45 seconds. By his estimation, the storm was moving at 80-90 mph.
No school
No power meant no classes at Oxford High School and Leonard Elementary on Monday and Tuesday. Leonard Elementary got its power back Tuesday night, however, OHS was still without electricity so classes were again cancelled Wednesday.
Superintendent Dr. Bill Skilling said he’s been told power probably won’t be restored at OHS until Thursday, which means classes might not resume until Friday.
Classes for the entire district were cancelled Monday as some schools had power and some did not. Skilling explained the administration didn’t have adequate time to meet and plan how to handle various issues such rerouting school buses. ‘We had some roads blocked by huge tree limbs that we couldn’t even get through,? he said.
Skilling said it was decided to close the district Monday because he ‘guessed? the power was only going to be out for one day.
Summer vacation won’t be delayed and the school year won’t be extended as a result of these missed days. Friday will still be the last day of school for the entire district.
‘We have no intention at this point of making up any of the missed days,? said Skilling, noting a provision in state law forgives ‘acts of God days after April 30.?
‘The problem is there are so many plans already made (and) a lot of things kids are already committed to that we just can’t start adding days this late in the year,? the superintendent noted. As for final exams at OHS, which were scheduled to begin Wednesday and run through Friday, Skilling said those are ‘out the window now.?
Students who need to take a final exam to pass a class or who wish to improve their grade will be allowed to do so at their request.
‘We’re going to do what’s in the best interests of each student,? Skilling said.
If students return Thursday or Friday, they will meet with each teacher for short reviews and take ‘modified? tests, which will not be comprehensive final exams.
‘At this point, the reality is that learning has pretty much been completed for this school year,? Skilling said. ‘To try to test them with a comprehensive exam at this point when they have not had access to a review time (which was supposed to be Monday and Tuesday), when they have not had access to the materials like textbooks, is not fair to the kids. We’re setting them up for failure.?
Busy fire departments
The storm kept Oxford and Addison’s fire departments hopping. Oxford firefighters went on 36 storm-related runs (including assisting Orion on a house fire) while Addison was dispatched on nearly 40 calls.
A majority of the calls were regarding downed power lines and other wires, such as cable and phone lines, along with fallen trees and limbs blocking roads.
A large tree limb broke off and knocked down a power pole and its lines in front of the Stor-Your-Stuf facility at 557 N. Rochester Rd. Leafy debris and wires covered most of the road, making it impassable and unsafe.
Not only did this lead to the closing of Rochester Rd. between Donna Mae Lane and Lena Hill Lane, it also knocked out power to the 269 units in the Hidden Lake Estates Manufactured Home Community right next door to the storage facility. Rochester Rd. was open and clear by Tuesday evening.
High winds knocked over a tree in the mobile home park causing it to fall on top of a trailer, virtually splitting the unit in two pieces (see story above).
Both fire stations in Addison as well as the township offices lost power and were forced to rely on auxiliary power from generators.
As of Tuesday, they still had no power and problems with the phone lines were being experienced at the township offices.
In Oxford, winds blew over the top 20 feet of the metal tower housing police and fire antennas located outside the village police department on W. Burdick St.
The broken portion of the formerly 110-foot tower was suspended in midair at a 90-degree angle when firefighters removed it and reattached the antennas to the remainder. LeRoy said the almost 25-year-old tower will have to be replaced. A combination of age and 60-80 mph winds proved too much for it.
Fortunately, this did not affect the firefighters? radio communications as they had already switched to a different channel.
Fallen limbs and branches were scattered throughout in the village and township.
‘The bulk of the damage seemed to be more on a line from the village north,? LeRoy said. ‘It was worse in the northern areas of the township than the southern areas.?
LeRoy said one of the ‘hardest hit? areas was around Pleasant St. in the village where a large tree was uprooted by the winds and fell on a house (18 Pleasant St.) No one was injured and the house sustained only minor damage, according to village Mgr. Joe Young.
The chief noted he saw more uprooted trees as a result of this storm then he ever has during his lifetime in Oxford.
Elsewhere in the township, LeRoy said there were ‘a whole bunch of poles and wires down at Harwood and Brookfield area.?
Hummer Lake Rd. between Coats and Baldwin roads had some ‘major trees? down, according to the chief, but residents got on their tractors and fired up their chainsaws to take care of the problem themselves.
‘They cut up at least four, maybe five big trees that were laying in the road or split down the middle and had to be taken down because they were unsafe,? LeRoy said. ‘They pretty much opened their roads up.?
Up in the northeastern section of the township, the chief said one of his firefighters ‘had to go in probably four different directions? to get to a call. Trees were blocking his path on Davison Lake, Barber and Oakwood roads.