Storm Tears Roof Off Home on Pinecroft Drive

Zina Ali and her family living on the 6300 block of Pinecroft Drive in West Bloomfield may have seen the worst of Saturday's thunderstorm.

"I was upstairs with my sisters, kids, mom and dad. All of the sudden, it went dark, and I heard my sister screaming from the shower. We ran to the basement, and it seemed like in 10 seconds, it was over," she said.

Strong winds believed to be at speeds of up to 65 mph hit the home from the southwest side, after cutting a swath through the nearby Covenant Baptist Church property on Maple Road just west of Orchard Lake Road and moving in a northwesterly direction.

The wind severely damaged the roof of Ali's parents' home, as well as three of the four bedrooms on the top floor and two bathrooms. Ali said no one inside needed medical attention, including her sister, who was in the shower at the time.

"She said that the bathtub just started shaking," Ali said. "It was terrifying."

Ali's parents have moved to a nearby motel while the storm cleanup takes place.

As of Sunday afternoon, 1,611 DTE Energy customers remained without power, which the storm had knocked out about 4 p.m. Saturday.

Among those without power were the neighboring family, the Prekelezajes, whose home had several trees uprooted in the front and back yards. Edward Prekelezaj said he was relaxing in bed when his son, Peter, 7, looked out the home's front windows and screamed.

"We ran into the basement, and it was over quickly," said Prekelezaj. "It was pretty stressful. I've never seen anything like this before — like a supernatural force."

Standing in his backyard next to an uprooted tree whose roots reached as high as his upper chest, Prekelezaj pointed to a mangled trampoline in a neighboring yard. "That used to be in our yard," he said. "Could you imagine a 14-foot trampoline flying through the air? It must have looked like a spaceship."

Prekelezaj and his family did not require medical attention.

Next door, Cliff Chudler swore that it must have been a tornado that came through the area as he examined the branches that had blown off of a large maple tree in his backyard. "All of these branches came from the top of the tree," he said.

Doppler radar, which detects wind rotation, showed no rotational signature to indicate there was a tornado, said Dick Wagenmaker, White Lake director of the National Weather Service. Turbulent clouds producing hard rain can sometimes "look funny" and are often mistaken for tornadoes, he said.

said Sunday that public safety after the storm was not a concern and that that downed power lines in the township had been secured. No major incidents of crime or traffic accidents had been reported Saturday.

What to do

If your power is out or if you see a downed power line, report it to DTE immediately at 800-477-4747 or dteenergy.com. You may also contact those sources to get an estimate of when your power will restored.