Tornado touchdown confirmed on Detroit’s east side; one injured

Sina Almassi and Caitlin Bricely were sitting on their porch in West Village Thursday afternoon, watching a storm roll in, feeling unconcerned. 

That’s when lightning struck, a transformer blew down the street and the power went out. Almassi had been recording a time-lapse of the clouds, but the couple rushed inside. It wasn’t until hours later that they realized he captured video of the first tornado to hit Detroit in nearly 30 years. 

“This burst of wind just hit us, and we went inside. Then, the power went out. And we were just kind of witnessing everything,” he said. “Two or three hours later, we were watching the video. That’s where we zoomed in, and there it was – a funnel.”

The couple had minimal debris and no real damage from the storm, but just down the block in Islandview their neighbors were not so lucky. 

Mayor Mary Sheffield said Thursday afternoon that the National Weather Service confirmed a tornado touched down in the lower east side near Mt Elliot and East Vernor and moved southeast to Belle Isle. Areas near Rouge Park also experienced some damage.

One man was injured while protecting his infant when a tree hit their home, the mayor said.

“Aside from the young man, we still today have not received any reports of serious injuries to date,” Sheffield said during a press conference at Public Safety Headquarters. “There were several building collapses and partial collapses. We have also received reports of roughly 80 downed trees and expect more. Crews are prioritizing any trees blocking major roads or posing a health and safety issue for our residents.”

Sheffield said nearly 100 intersections in the city have non-working traffic lights and roughly 30,000 residents are without power.

“We know that residents are dealing with a lot with the effects of this storm. Our work is far from over,” she said. “We will work with our departments to provide resources. Our first priority is always making sure our residents are safe.”

Fire Commissioner Chuck Simms said in the last 20 hours, the Fire Department responded to 65 storm-related incidents, including downed wires, structure fires from downed wires and fallen trees on homes. The department will be working on Friday to inspect buildings alongside Buildings, Safety Engineering, and Environmental Department.

Watch the press conference here:

Fast-moving thunderstorms pummeled Metro Detroit all afternoon, leaving more than 250,000 without power by noon Friday. It brought Detroit’s first tornado since 1997. A confirmed EF-0 tornado also hit Marysville in St. Clair County. 

Belle Isle struck

Damage in Detroit also occurred on Belle Isle with downed trees, flooding on the roads and damage to some structures. 

Meagan Elliott, president and CEO of the Belle Isle Conservancy, said no one was hurt when the storms hit, and everyone on the island at the time was able to get to shelter. 

“We’re still doing an inventory; we’ve seen small damages, but nothing significant. You know, not like an entire tree going into a historic building,” Elliott said Friday afternoon during a volunteer cleanup on the island. “That was honestly the thing that I thought most about as the storm was happening was that brand new conservatory dome and how easy it is for the wind to pick up something like that. So all told, we were really fortunate on the island.”

Dozens of volunteers came out to help clear debris and pick up trash. Even though it is a state-run park, residents showed up – one man even brought all his power tools to clear fallen trees.

“We have thousands of volunteers that come out just on an average day to help clean up the beach. You know, after a big Labor Day weekend, for example, or or just to clean up debris that’s you know flown around,” Elliott said. “So, to have them come out in a moment of real need like this is what it’s all about, and just kind of again a testament to like how how committed this group is, and and how … if you’re a Detroitor you own Belle Isle. This is your park, and so people really step into that ownership and and step into the role and and do their part, and we are so appreciative.”

Even with the work from volunteers and the Michigan Department of Natural Resources on the ground, Elliott said it will take a long time for the island to recover, especially with the loss of the old-growth trees.

Husband and wife Dishan and Tasha Holifield showed up for the cleanup after they saw the request for help on Facebook.

“I’m like, we got to go there, Dishan said. “We come here probably three times a week. We got married here.”

“This is our paradise,” added Tasha. “It gives us a lot, so we got to give back.”

Power out

DTE’s Storm Response Team has already restored more than 145,000 customers affected by the multiple waves of storms that impacted Southeast Michigan on Wednesday and Thursday.  

DTE expects power in Detroit to be restored by the end of the weekend, according to Brian Calka, senior vice president of electric operations at DTE. 

Calka said while the damage was significant, “recent investment work” in the area meant the damage could have been worse than what it is now. 

“I’ve been in the organization for 20 years, so I’ve seen a lot of damage and a lot of storms. What I saw on the east side today was unlike anything I have seen in my history,” Calka said at the Friday afternoon press conference. “In many cases, on the east side, the infrastructure is not there. It has simply been picked up by the tornadoes and moved to wherever it was sent.”

“We expect to restore 65% of impacted customers by end of day Friday, 90% of customers by end of day Saturday, and the remainder by end of day Sunday,” DTE said in a statement. 

Nearly 4,000 Storm Response Team members, including more than 1,200 field workers from outside Michigan, are working safely and as quickly as possible to restore power to everyone affected.

The first human case of West Nile in Detroit was also confirmed by Detroit Chief Public Health Officer Ali Abazeed. Symptoms are rare, with less than 20% of people experiencing cold-like symptoms, and less than 1% experiencing more serious, neurologic symptoms. Extreme fevers, tremors and seizures of any kind should be treated as a medical emergency. 

Post-storm humidity and standing water sources provide ideal breeding grounds for mosquitoes, Abazeed said. To prevent mosquito breeding, standing water in outdoor open containers should be tipped over, tossed out and covered.

Impact on the east side

Mike Hollis was working from his home in Islandview near Field Street on Thursday afternoon when he noticed the sky turning green and the black clouds rolling in.

“Then we got these texts on our phones, and it was more or less like, ‘Take shelter now.’ So my mother went in the basement, and I was like, ‘I want to see it,'” Hollis said. “So I like stayed, and I was looking, and I did – I ended up seeing the formation of the tornado with like debris.”

His house is surrounded by downed trees, but the worst of the damage was three blocks away, near Charlevoix Street. He said it’s the first time his neighborhood experienced such a storm, but the city is already taking charge to clean up and help out.

“This is our first time. We’re just taking it all in, kind of like in shock,” he said. “…Based on the cleanup and the response, and them even blocking the area for safety, it shows that the intent is there, so you know I’m hopeful. I just know it could have been worse.”

Alma Anderson, who’s family has had a home on Concord and Charlevoix for 65 years, said she wasn’t able to see the damage until she came home from work.

“He has a tree in his yard, and it’s in my yard, and the little power cord is wrapped around it,” she said of the damage to her and her neighbor’s properties. “It’s on this fence and over on his fence.”

Anderson remembers when the last tornado hit Detroit in 1997, but it didn’t cause damage on the east side. She said she’s concerned for the people who don’t have homeowners insurance who will have to find a way to cover the damage.

J.D. Givhan, who has owned J&G Pallets & Trucking Inc. on Bellevue and Benson for about 20 years, is also concerned with repair costs. When the storm hit, nobody was at the business, but part of the roof was blown off, along with multiple doors to the property, and some trucks were destroyed.

He estimated the damage at $100,000-$200,000

“What kind of aid is available?” he said. “I want to know what they can fix and when.”

Luke Shaefer, chief executive of Health, Human Services and Poverty Solutions, said Friday that the city is evaluating the damage and whether to seek aid from the state. He said they are working with the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services and the Red Cross to provide immediate relief to residents impacted.