The Opera House took a big hit Saturday when late afternoon storms ripped through Howell. The city was reported to be one of the hardest hit by the storm, which had wind gusts reported at 60 mph; there were also reports of downed trees and limbs, as well as electrical outages.
As the Howell Melon Festival was underway, the storm took out the historic Opera House’s first-floor windows along Grand River Avenue and Walnut Street were blown out. No injuries were reported.
Late afternoon and evening events were canceled; the festival is expected to proceed as planned on Saturday, with activities beginning at 9 .m. Festival organizers report that some events and activities may be moved to new locations because of storm damage, and advise that some vendors and entertainment might not be present.
For festival updates, check out the Melon Festival’s Facebook page.
In a video posted by The Carriage House, a popular downtown retail establishment on Michigan Avenue just north of Grand River Avenue, you can see people struggling in the storm:
https://www.facebook.com/share/r/15S6H1bxDN/
