A severe storm that blew through downtown Howell on Saturday, Aug. 16, forced organizers to cancel evening activities for Melon Fest.
Damage included a large, broken window at the Howell Opera House, power outages, fallen trees, and flooding, according to posts on social media.
According to the National Weather Service, roughly 1 to 3 inches of rainfall hit Livingston County, and minor flooding is ongoing or expected to begin shortly.
“We’ve made the difficult decision to cancel the rest of tonight’s festival activities,” organizers from Melon Fest wrote on Aug. 16. “We are disappointed, but the safety of our festivalgoers, staff and volunteers must come first.
“We will be evaluating the damage and will share updates for (Sunday) as soon as we can.”
A post from the Howell Opera House said the building will reopen for a scheduled Art Show on Sunday. The organization is seeking donations for window repairs. A social media post from Oh Crumbs! Bread Co. in Howell said 5% of all sales Sunday will be given to the cause.
— Cassandra Lybrink is the local editor of The Livingston Daily. Contact her at clybrink@livingsondaily.com.
This article originally appeared on Livingston Daily: Melon Fest cancels evening activities as severe storm blows through Howell
Reporting by Cassandra Lybrink, Livingston Daily / Livingston Daily
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