(WWJ) Thousands of homes and businesses remain without power as a result of the storms that blew through southeast Michigan. Some won't have electricity until Saturday, officials said.
DTE Energy executives say 227,000 customers lost power. About 137,000 remain without electricity this morning while crews from out of state are headed to the area to help with restoration efforts.
Taara O'Shee of Grosse Pointe said Wednesday night's storms felt and looked like a tunnel of wind or even a small tornado.
"Lots of trees down, house fire down the road, pretty bad," she told WWJ 950, assessing the damage in her neighborhood between Moross and Vernier, primarily on the east of Mack.
Grosse Pointe was among the communities hit hard when a severe storm system with gusty winds arrived in Southeast Michigan Wednesday afternoon, doing some damage and leaving tens of thousands of people without power.
Grosse Pointe resident Ed Cardenas said a transformer blew in his yard, and a downed branch was carried 30 feet on the wind.
A severe thunderstorm warning was issued for some areas, including Macomb County until 6 p.m., and parts of Wayne, Monroe and Washtenaw Counties until 6:30 p.m.
Weather spotters reported gusts as high as 61-miles per hour in Ann Arbor at around the same time a large tree came down in the westbound lanes of Stadium near Brockman in Ann Arbor. Trees were downed in Oxford in Oakland County, a barn collapse was reported in Elkton in Huron County, a utility pole caught fire Dryden in Lapeer Country due to down power lines, and more down trees and lines also in Bay, Huron, Saginaw and Genesee Counties.
A house in Grosse Pointe was reportedly rocked off its foundation.
Winds were so strong that some called WWJ 950 to report a tornado touch down, especially near 7 Mile Road in Detroit ... but none were confirmed.
