Tornado Watch Issued; Four Years Ago Today Tornado Hit Fenton

The date of Aug. 24 and the mention of a tornado might bring back some haunting memories for the people of Fenton.

Four years ago today, on Aug. 24, 2007, a tornado struck Fenton around 5:30 p.m. causing major damage.

The National Weather Service has issued a tornado watch for Genesee, Livingston and Oakland County until 1 a.m. Wednesday night.

The 2007 storm uprooted trees, ripped off roofs and collapsed a wall at Tractor Supply Co. on Owen Road.

The National Weather service is reporting the conditions are right for a possible tornado. The National Weather Service is also calling for a chance of thunderstorms during the late afternoon and evening hours, primarily between 5 and 11 p.m.

These storms could be severe, with winds gusting up to 60 miles an hour, the possibility of large hail and conditions that could cause tornados to develop, the weather service report said. Trained spotters may be needed during the evening to records reports with the weather service and report online.The storms are moving southeast at about 35 miles an hour. The weather service alert applies to the following counties: Wayne, Oakland, Macomb, Washtenaw, Livingston, Lenawee, Huron, Saginaw, Tuscola, Sanilac, Shiawassee, Genesee, Lapeer, St. Clair and Monroe.

DTE Energy also issued a statement warning of the oncoming storm, indicating the storm may cause power outages. DTE also shared the following tips:

• Never cross the yellow barrier tape that may be around downed power lines.
• Never drive across downed wires. If a power line falls on your vehicle, remain inside your car until help arrives.
• A live wire may spark and whip around as it looks for a ground. A ground is the earth or something touching the earth, like a fence or a tree. A live wire that has found its ground may lie silently, but it is still dangerous. Report it online or call us immediately at 800-477-4747.

• Stay out of flooded or damp basements or other areas if water is in contact with outlets, a furnace or any electrically operated appliance that is energized. The water or moisture may conduct electricity. Contact may cause serious or fatal injury.
• If portable heaters or candles are being used, keep them well away from flammable materials. Properly vent portable heaters. Keep children and pets away.
• If you leave your home during the outage, double-check to make sure all heat-producing appliances, such as stoves, clothes dryers, irons and curling irons, are unplugged. This will minimize the danger of fire if power is restored while you are away.
• Know how to reset your circuit breaker. Turn off lamps and appliances in use when the power went out. Make sure your hands are dry; stand on a dry surface. Find the breaker switch pointed toward the "OFF" position. Turn the switch all the way to "off," then to the "on" position.
• If fuses, instead of circuit breakers, protect your home wiring, you may want to call in an electrician for assistance. There are many variations in the types and designs of fuse boxes. For safety's sake, make sure you have instructions for your specific type of fuse. Get extra, correct replacement fuses and store them near the fuse panel along with a flashlight.
• Protect sensitive electronic equipment, such as computers, televisions and stereos, with surge suppressors. If you are home when a storm approaches, you may want to unplug sensitive electronic equipment.
• Wait until power has been fully restored before making any attempt to clear debris from yards.