BY PHILIP PINA and JOHN HOPKINS
The Cincinnati Enquirer
Strong thunderstorms surged through the Tristate late Friday, battering the region with heavy rain and high winds for the third day in a row.
Friday's storms moved into the region from the northwest, triggering high winds and numerous lightning strikes, downing trees and snapping power lines throughout the region.
Cinergy spokeswoman Kathy Meinke said between 20,000 and 25,000 customers experienced power blackouts. The company called in 300 to 400 workers to repair downed lines.
Butler County authorities received an unofficial report of funnel clouds over Union Township and Hamilton, but no confirmed touchdowns.
In Hanover Township, four people received minor injuries when a tent was blown down at the Queen of Peace parish festival, 2550 Millville Road.
"Everything happened so fast," said Father Kenneth Schoettmer of the church.
About 300 people attending the festival when the storm struck sought shelter in the church, the priest's home and a garage.
"They were everywhere," he said. The injured were taken to Fort Hamilton Mercy Hospital in Hamilton, he said.
Trees and power lines also were down in parts of Warren County, with Mason the hardest-hit area. In Clermont County, officials reported trees down, power outages and standing water on a few roadways. In Hamilton County, trees were reported down in a number of neighborhoods, including Harrison, Wyoming and Indian Hill. Portions of downtown Harrison were without power.
In Northern Kentucky, lightning struck a house in Edgewood and started a barn fire in Independence. No injuries were reported. Trees and wires fell across roads and yards in Fort Mitchell, Taylor Mill, Covington, Independence and Richwood.
The storms were caused by an unstable air mass and a cold front working its way down from the western Great Lakes, according to the National Weather Service in Wilmington.
There were reports of rain and powerful winds reaching speeds of 60 to 70 mph, according to the Weather Service. The service issued several watches and warnings late Friday, including a flash-flood warning for parts of Northern Kentucky.
The storms came as Tristate residents were still recovering from Thursday's high winds and heavy rains.
During a 36-hour stretch from late Wednesday through Thursday, Delhi Township firefighters responded to 39 storm-related calls and made 23 EMS runs, said Fire Capt. Roger Klink. Most of the runs were for wires down and flooded basements and driveways. There were no storm-related injuries.
Three University of Cincinnati students were safely back in their homes Friday after being plucked from a raging creek near Dayton the night before.
Crews rescued the men from a sport-utility vehicle that slipped off a flooded spillway and flipped with the rush of the water before resting against rocks.
"That was the scariest moment of my life," Daniel Phlipot, 21, said from his Dayton home Friday. "I closed my eyes, and all of a sudden we are under water."
Mr. Phlipot, Zachary Kent, 20, of Columbus, and Erik Kothenbeutel, 19, of Wyoming each suffered bruises and cuts, Farmersville Fire and Rescue Chief Tom Wallace said. About 50 rescue workers using boats, a swinging bridge and ropes worked about two hours to pull the men to safety.
The students were taken to Sycamore Hospital, where they were treated and then released. Mr. Kent and Mr. Phlipot just finished their second year at UC, Mr. Kothenbeutel his first.
Police were called about 7 p.m. to Lake-of-the-Woods campground in Montgomery County, west of Dayton. They found the men standing on the roof of the vehicle trapped in Toms Run, a normally tranquil stream that turned into a raging river with heavy rains Thursday. Mr. Phlipot said they had been fishing at the campground Thursday and were attempting to cross the spillway when the stream's currents began pushing their vehicle over an embankment. The truck flipped before coming to rest on its tires in the stream.
They broke a window to allow the water to flow through and were able to climb onto the vehicle's roof to await rescuers, Chief Wallace said.
The rushing stream waters hampered efforts, and rescue crews were concerned about large rocks in the stream that could cause serious injuries to anyone caught in the current.
"It's one of those creeks that can come up quick, and it can go down just as fast," Chief Wallace said. "These guys are lucky to be alive." David Eck contributed to this report.
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