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Tornado
With 115
Mph
Winds
Damages
Detroit
Homes,
Businesses
and
Power
Lines
Jean
Davis -
Local/State
Tell Us
Detroit
News
Bureau
DETROIT
-
Cleanup
and
damage
assessments
continued
across
Detroit’s
lower
east
side and
Belle
Isle
after a
tornado
now
rated
EF-2 by
the
National
Weather
Service
tore
through
the
area,
leaving
widespread
tree,
utility
and
structural
damage.
The
tornado
touched
down
about
4:14
p.m.
Wednesday
near Mt.
Elliott
Street
and East
Vernor
Highway
before
moving
southeast
toward
Belle
Isle.
The
preliminary
survey
found
peak
winds of
up to
115 mph,
a path
of about
3.5
miles
and a
maximum
width of
one-half
mile
during
its
roughly
four-minute
track.
Mayor
Mary
Sheffield
said one
man was
injured
while
protecting
his
infant
after a
tree
struck
their
home,
but the
city had
received
no
reports
of
additional
serious
injuries.
The
storm
caused
building
collapses
or
partial
collapses,
damaged
homes
and
businesses,
and
brought
down at
least 80
trees,
officials
said.
The
heaviest
damage
was
reported
in and
around
Islandview,
where
fallen
trees,
damaged
utility
infrastructure
and
debris
blocked
streets
and
affected
homes
and
businesses.
At J&G
Pallets
&
Trucking
Inc.
near
Bellevue
and
Benson,
the
owner
said
part of
the roof
was torn
away,
doors
were
damaged
and
trucks
were
destroyed.
The
owner
estimated
losses
between
$100,000
and
$200,000.
Detroit
firefighters
responded
to 65
storm-related
calls in
the
first 20
hours
after
the
tornado,
including
downed
wires,
fires
linked
to
damaged
electrical
lines
and
trees
falling
onto
homes.
City
building
inspectors
were
dispatched
to
assess
affected
structures.
About
30,000
Detroit
residents
initially
lost
power,
while
nearly
100
intersections
had
inoperable
traffic
signals,
city
officials
said.
DTE
Energy
reported
that
more
than
145,000
customers
affected
by
multiple
waves of
Southeast
Michigan
storms
had been
restored
as crews
continued
work to
return
remaining
customers
to
service.
Belle
Isle
also
sustained
downed
trees,
flooded
roadways
and
limited
structural
damage.
No
injuries
were
reported
on the
island,
though
officials
said
recovery,
particularly
from the
loss of
mature
trees,
could
take
considerable
time.
Residents
can
report
fallen
trees or
damaged
buildings
through
the
Improve
Detroit
app or
by
calling
313-590-3336.
Residents
should
stay at
least 25
feet
away
from
downed
power
lines,
avoid
touching
anything
in
contact
with
them and
call 911
in an
emergency.
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