DETROIT — For the first time in nearly three decades, a tornado has touched down in Detroit, leaving extensive damage and dangerous debris across parts of the city — with the lower Eastside hit the hardest.
City officials say at least 20 properties suffered significant damage after Thursday's storm toppled utility poles, downed power lines, and uprooted trees. Despite the destruction, no serious injuries have been reported.
Action 7 News reporter Randy Wimbley has the story in the video below:
At Vernor and Beaufait, tree limbs snapped and pieces of aluminum siding were ripped from buildings and wrapped around electric poles. Entire stretches of street have been blocked off to protect the public from debris.
Daquan Addison says he and his infant daughter narrowly escaped tragedy. He had just grabbed his newborn daughter and walked off his porch steps moments before the roof caved in.
"The moment I did that and walked back. The whole porch just collapsed. Like it, it just collapsed. It was over it, was done like, I'm, like, 'Wow, bro.' Like, just imagine, I could've been up under there," he said.
Addison said the close call put things in perspective.
"At the end of the day, it could have been any of my kids in there and all of us, we still have our lives, you feel me?" he said.
Stories of timing, heroism, and gratitude are emerging from the rubble.
At Driven by Growth, a nonprofit working with Detroit youth, Emmanuel Smith says staffers sprang into action getting students inside seconds before the tornado touched down.
"We still had three buses out during this time, so we were still keeping an eye out for the vans and then as soon as the vans came in, the young people got off, we're making sure that they were walking, they were calm, told them exactly where to go, and it, it was there," Smith said. "So soon when that last van got here, that's when everything just went black outside."
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Ranald Rabon's home is among the at least 20 properties that suffered significant damage.
"The sky was dark green. Then the black clouds just came across and I stepped inside the house, I say about a minute later all the windows just exploded."
City crews and contractors are already clearing debris, working alongside DTE as workers first make downed power lines safe. The cleanup effort is expected to stretch into late next week.
City officials say it has been 29 years since a tornado last touched down in Detroit — and despite the severity of this storm, they are counting the community's good fortune.
"We still, to date, have not received any reports of any serious injuries to date, which is a true blessing, in light of the strength and severity of this particular storm," Mayor Mary Sheffield said.
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