This morning’s summer storm really packed a punch, bringing not only heavy rain but also hail, thunder and serious wind shear.
Residents across the Erie area felt the force of the storm as quarter-sized hail, damaging winds, downed trees and widespread power outages swept through the region.
Many people heard the hail pounding on rooftops or watched it bounce across their yards as severe weather moved through Monday. Erie News Now Chief Meteorologist Tom DiVecchio examined some of the hailstones brought into the station by News Content Director Adam Snow.
“Adam our news director literally went out in the storm, got the hail, brought it in, and it was about the size of a quarter — that is really sizeable hail,” DiVecchio said.
That sizeable hail caused visible damage at Peninsula Plaza, where one awning was punctured with lots of holes from the pelting hail, and at least one vehicle sustained dents to its roof.
DiVecchio explained that strong wind shear inside the storm helped create the unusually large hailstones.
“So you can kind of get what we call the onion effect. You get these layers of ice, and the better the shear environment, the more the hail stones can go up and down through the storm and the better chance that it can get fairly large,” he said.
While the hail grabbed attention, the storm’s powerful winds caused significant damage throughout Millcreek.
At Gate of Heaven Cemetery, near the intersection of West Lake Road and Millfair Road, three massive trees were uprooted and toppled by the storm.
Nearby, at West Lake Road and Brookside Drive, a large walnut tree crashed down, completely blocking the roadway. The falling tree also brought down a utility pole and several power lines.
John Bell, who lives nearby, said he and his wife sought shelter in their basement as the storm intensified.
“We were in the basement hiding at that time, because I was a little bit afraid,” Bell said when asked whether he heard or saw the tree fall.
Although the tree caused extensive damage, Bell said his home was spared.
“Oh, we were very lucky. I think the power pole is what slowed it down, because it could have hit the house,” he said.
Insurance companies quickly began receiving claims related to the storm. Officials with Great Lakes Insurance told Erie News Now that numerous claims had already been filed in the aftermath.
By late Tuesday afternoon, more than 2,000 customers across the region remained without power as crews worked to restore service.