Storms, hail pound Mid-Michigan

MID-MICHIGAN (WJRT) (WJRT) -- (07/06/07)--The storm that swept through Mid-Michigan Thursday night left downed trees and hundreds of power outages.

But it also left something else: White hail so thick, you'd think in some parts of Genesee County it was winter in July.

Across Genesee County, it came down fast and hard. Ruthie Ivy, whose house was in a tree's path, was counting her blessings that she was not home at the time.

"That man upstairs probably told me, 'You go over there by your friends, over here by Applegate,'" she said.

The neighborhoods by Applegate Chevrolet were covered with ankle-deep hail. A rainbow hovered over a covered street.

Mist was rising from the streets and creeks, and children in July were shoveling and throwing ice balls.

While the adults assessed damage to their gardens, home siding and vehicles, the children were busy assessing a newfound ground covering that took them off guard.

The storms also knocked out power for numerous Consumers Energy customers. More than a thousand people remain without power as of Friday morning.

Consumers Energy says Genesee County remains the hardest hit with more than 1,500 customers still in the dark.

The power will be restored, at the latest, by 4 this afternoon, according to the utility.

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