Rain, not lightening, was the cause of a power outage in the Clarkston News building on May 2 ? and the ultimate source of a bigger power outage the following day.
Around 5 p.m. on May 2, a large flash of light was seen behind the Clarkston News building. After staff returned to the building around 5:10, half the power and phone lines were down.
The fire department was contacted to insure the buildings safety. DTE and an electrician were contacted as well.
The morning of May 3, workers with DTE concluded the rain cause two power cables to spark and ‘blow? the transformer. The workers said the protective covering on the cables was worn away from rubbing.
After repairing the damage, the workers restored power to the Clarkston News building around 9:50 a.m. – only to see and hear small explosions across the road near the Mill Pond and discover power was gone throughout downtown Clarkston. The outage affected several businesses and residents along M-15 to Dixie Highway.
Officers from the Clarkston Police Department directed traffic in the downtown area, and power was restored to full usage by 11:15 a.m.