Storm creates sound, fury but little damage Power outages reported in parts of the county

By MARK TODD - Staff Writer - mtodd@starbeacon.com
Star Beacon

August 08, 2008 03:29 am

— A brilliant lightning storm early Thursday morning lit the night skies over sections of Ashtabula County and also robbed the Wes Ylisaari family, of Conneaut, of a good night’s sleep.
At the height of the storm, lightning struck a 100-foot tree a few steps behind the family home on West Main Road. The bolt split and splintered the tree, and chunks of exploded bark impaled the ground several feet from the trunk.
The noise startled the family, Ylisaari said. “Everybody heard it hit,” said.
Everyone but young Cassy Newcomb, who said she slept through the blast.
The storm, which arrived shortly before 4:30 a.m., was accompanied by heavy rain, which raked sections of the county. More than a half-inch doused areas south of Interstate 90, according to residents.
Some 858 Illuminating Co. customers, the majority in North Kingsville, lost power when a tree limb fell across three primary wires, said Mark Jones, area manager. A tree crew was dispatched, along with repair technicians, he said.
Service was restored to more than 700 customers in about 80 minutes, while the balance had their power back in little more than two hours.
All that electricity in the sky also activated several alarms in the area, according to reports.
There’s a chance for more violent weather today, according to the National Weather Service. Showers and thunderstorms are predicted today, while temperatures will hit only the high 60s.
Partly sunny skies are expected Saturday, with highs in the middle 70s, according to the NWS.