A tornado touched down on Detroit’s east side on Thursday, September 3, the National Weather Service has confirmed, after severe storms caused widespread damage across south-east Michigan.
Mayor Mary Sheffield announced the finding during a press conference on Friday, saying the tornado began near Mt Elliott and East Vernor before travelling south-east towards Belle Isle.
The storm damaged buildings and roads along its path, with reports of structural collapses around Concord and St Paul. Further damage was recorded on Lafayette Avenue, Jefferson Avenue and Concord Street.
Detroit tornado path examined
The National Weather Service sent a survey team to examine the damage, covering an area stretching from Hamtramck through Detroit to Belle Isle. A tornado warning had been issued for Wayne County shortly before 4pm on Thursday.
Detroit Fire Department officials said numerous homes had been affected, although much of the reported destruction was concentrated around commercial buildings.
The confirmed tornado is the first to directly affect Detroit since July 1997, when an F2 tornado struck the city and injured 90 people.
City officials have begun a multi-department response to clear debris, assess damaged properties and support residents affected by the storm. More than 30,000 Detroit residents were without power on Thursday evening, while around 100 traffic signals were reported to be either dark or operating in flashing mode.
