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Some days you find out just how lucky you are.  You might have heard that we had some severe weather here in southeastern Michigan yesterday evening.  I got home just before the storm hit and decided to get the dogs out before the rain.  As I was walking down the hill behind our house, lightning hit about 1500 feet away.  The dog jumped about 2 feet off the ground and I about fell down the hill.  It started to rain just as we got back to the house.

Soon after the hail came--some pretty big (see photos below)--for about 15 minutes straight.  As I stood there looking out the window at my cars worrying about hail damage (seems pretty trivial now), little did I know what my neighbors just five miels to the south in Dexter, MI were dealing with.

http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/gallery?Avis=C4&Dato=20120315&Kategori=NEWS&Lopenr=203150811&Ref=PH

The tornado sirens were going off but the sky did not have that familiar green tint that usually accompanies tornadic activity and there was not a lot of wind.  So my son and I just kept our eyes on the sky but we did not take cover.  We were very lucky as the tornado (maybe tornados--yet to be determined) missed us by less than five miles.  The storm was just starting to clear when we got reports of a touchdown in Dexter.  Soon thereafter, photos and video of the devastation were on TV.  Complete neighborhoods damaged with some houses destroyed.  I feel bad for the folks in Dexter; but fortunately, so far there are only minor injuries reported and no fatalities.

I am skipping te Games People Play auction tomorrow because my son and I are going to Dexter to assist with the clean up and to help our neighbors pick up the pieces.  Mother Nature is very powerful!

 :drinking: Tim :drinking:

Tim...Glad to hear you are ok.  I watched the news live for 2 hours last night and saw the damage as it has just occurred.  Scary stuff!  It barely rained at my house (45 minutes from your house), so we were lucky this go round.  That's very considerate of you and your son to go help out the folks in Dexter, Mich. with the clean up. And based on what others are saying, I think the Games People Play auction will be a bust anyways...Good luck!

I was also watching the news last night, but it didn't register how close the storms were to you.

I am glad you and the family are safe.

 WOW !! Glad You guys Are OK !!

  2weeks ago we had the same issues around Cincinnati  Area .Places in Indiana  were Gone Around Louisville Ky were Gone . Moscow Oh Wiped Out .  I think NWA said we Had 5 Tornados in a 100 mile area 3 F3 1-F4 And a F3S ??  aND i THINK 11 -13 Deaths Total .

Glad to hear you guys are ok, and wow, some serious hail.

It is just weird weather this year so early too.. kinda scary.. we have 75 degree days here today in MARCH! just bizzare and I feel this is just the tip of the ice berg on what we are going to see for weather this spring,summer unfortunatley.

Glad you are all ok, about 2 weeks ago a small town about 40 miles from me was hit hard.  It took almost everything in Henryville Indiana down to the ground.

Wow, I saw the news last night and was wondering about all the Michigan guys, glad everyone is alright...tornado damage is very humbling to see, you don't realize the amount of destruction until you see it up close.

Tim,

Glad to hear you and yours are OK, I know how it is, it is very humbling ...we got hit with a small tornado about 3 years ago and all the neighbors came together to help each other out....we were lucky and only had minimum damage .... about $8,000 worth ....thank God for home owner insurance !    It is 2012 hope the Mayans were wrong !

Tim,

Glad you are ok! Thought about you yesterday! Saw the video that was filmed at the Metropark! That was a pretty decent sized Tornado. Nothing to mess with! Glad you are doing well. Sorry I won't see you next week at the lunch. My daughters 5 year old birthday party! Only happens once. We will talk this week though, as I will be in Detroit in two weeks and need to come see you, on my way to the Chicago show.

Brian

Tim,
Glad all were unharmed by the storm. Just got in from a overnight Field Trip with my son's class. I'm sure the residents of Dexter appreciate any help from anyone!

I hadn't heard about the storms, but glad you are ok.

I wonder if there even any tornado sirens around me.

Interesting enough, my wife's two sisters both have houses in that subdivision Huron Farms in Dexter.  They made out ok, compared to many of the neighboring houses which were demolished.  Pretty crazy weather.

Glad you and your family are OK! It didn't even rain here in Hazel Park.

Well, I did not get a chance to help with the clean-up in Dexter because they had too many volunteers--a good thing.  However, I kept busy in support of my neighbors.  I sit on the Board of the Hamburg Pirate Youth Football Association and I was busy planning and organizing a fundraiser most of the day Friday.

What can you do with a motivated group of volunteers, over 27,000 returnable bottles and cans (worth 10 cents each), and many generous cash donations?  :glare: Well this past weekend the Hamburg Pirates Youth Football Association (Cheer and Pom too) held a fundraiser for the Dexter Tornado Relief Fund in front of the Kroger Store in Pinckney.  From 9 to 4 on Saturday and 9 to almost 6 on Sunday (we were supposed to end at 3pm both days), our youth football, cheer and pom players and parents collected cans and bottles for return as well as cash donations.  When we finally stopped accepting cans and bottles on Sunday we had 13 heaping grocery carts full of bottles and cans.  In two short days, we collected a total of $5,000 dollars.  :happydrinkers: Our program will be matching the total and donating a check for $10,000 to the Dexter Relief Fund.

It was amazing to see my community rally behind this event.  We had donations from as far away as Ann Arbor and Brighton because people heard about it through Facebook!  Organizing, executing an event like this and getting to see the generosity in your community will certainly restore your faith in mankind.  I am very proud of our little corner of Livingston County and the Pinckney and Hamburg communities.  It is great to have a day when everyone you see is showing their best side! :biggrin:

I can't wait to present the check to the Village Officials in Dexter!


 :drinking: Tim :drinking:

Nice Job Tim!