Boy Found Dead near Connecticut Coast as Severe Storms Hit Northeast, Midwest; 1 Killed by Falling Tree in Michigan

Pam Wright and Sean Breslin
Published: July 7,2017
Officials in Branford, Connecticut, said crews recovered the body of a 10-year-old boy who was washed into a culvert that leads to the Branford River following a search that was hindered by bad weather.
Captain Geoff Morgan told the Associated Press two boys were playing near the culvert when one of them slipped and fell and was swept into the pipe. Three hours later, officials told local reporters that they had recovered the boy's body about 500 feet from where he was carried away. The boy's identity has not been released, the report added.
The area where the boy was swept away is known to frequently flood during heavy rainfall and high tides, according to local media.
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Across the Northeast and Midwest, powerful storms left serious flooding and wind damage in several towns and knocked out power to thousands. Vacationers in Cape Cod, Massachusetts, experienced flooded roads that left some cars stranded and hindered travel.
According to CapeCod.com, water entered several basements and residents assisted in water rescues as motorists got stranded. Rough seas caused a boat to capsize at Wychmere Harbor in Harwich, but everyone was able to safely get to shore, the report added.

Man Dies in Michigan; Tens of Thousands Lose Power

A Grand Haven man was killed early Friday as powerful storms moved through western Michigan.
According to Grand Haven Public Safety Director Jeff Hawke, the 72-year-old man was killed after a large tree fell on his home in Highland Park’s Poplar Ridge, WOOD-TV reported. The victim was later identified as Lawrence Thon.
Thon's wife was also inside the home when the tree crashed to the ground, but was in a different part of the house and wasn't injured, the AP said.
An upper-level disturbance moved through lower Michigan early Friday morning, which allowed strong to severe thunderstorms to develop, said weather.com meteorologist Linda Lam.
Destructive winds accompanied a thunderstorm that rolled through part of southwestern Michigan from Muskegon to areas south of Lansing, Lam said.
Nearly 150,000 Consumers Energy customers lost power during the fast-moving storms, which packed winds of more than 90 mph. Authorities said power may not be restored for some until Sunday evening.
The outages forced schools and businesses to close Friday, the Norton Shores Police Department told WOOD-TV.
Resident Tom Donahue told WZZM-TV that the storm was deafening.
"It sounded like a jet engine, a jet plane, was parked on my deck," he said. "It was so loud. I couldn't believe how loud it was. It's the biggest storm I've ever been in."

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