DETROIT (WXYZ) — Cleanup is underway on Belle Isle after a powerful storm tore through Detroit's island park Thursday afternoon, ripping trees in half, mangling rooftop sections of the Detroit Boat Club and tossing a boat into a tree.
The Belle Isle Conservancy put out a call for volunteers to help with the massive cleanup effort after trees the size of mature hardwoods uprooted entirely from the ground.
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Vicki Dobbins, who lives in River Rouge, said she was stunned by what she saw.
"I cannot believe what's going on on Belle Isle," Dobbins said.
After seeing the damage in person, Dobbins said she understood why the park needed as many people as possible to pitch in.
"If you don't do anything, but come and help clean up Belle Isle. This is our Belle Isle," Dobbins said.
Meagan Elliott, president and CEO of the Belle Isle Conservancy, said people began asking how they could help almost immediately after the storm hit Thursday afternoon.
"You know the loss of the mature trees is actually really devastating for us. We always say that Belle Isle's where Detroit comes to breathe and a great part of that is the natural respite," Elliott said.
Jonathan Teh was among those who showed up to volunteer.
"When I was leaving the island, I saw the amount of trees just completely uprooted and I thought it'd be a good opportunity to help give back to the place that I love," Teh said.
Sareen Papakhian, urban district park supervisor for the Michigan Department of Natural Resources, said the buildings on the island are largely intact, though the aquarium had water coming through the skylight.
"So far, it appears that most of the structures here on the island are structurally intact. Mostly, it looks like tree damage, but there are a lot of downed trees here on the island so we do need help collecting branches and loose brush and things of this nature," Papakhian said.
Bill Lucas, a volunteer with the Detroit Mower Gang — a group that spends its free time mowing grass around neglected playgrounds — said he spotted an opportunity when he saw the conservancy's call for help.
"Saw the conservancy post that they wanted volunteers and I'm like wow that's a great thing to do," Lucas said.
Lucas brought a leaf blower to the island and coordinated with other volunteers working the area.
State DNR officials said the cleanup could take weeks, as crews work to carve up and haul away the massive downed trees.
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