GROSSE POINTE, Mich. – A neighbor’s tree crashed down on top of a Grosse Pointe family’s car just as they were parking in the driveway.
Thursday’s severe storms left many around Metro Detroit with shattered windshields, no power, and downed trees.
But one family narrowly escaped disaster on Thursday night as they parked in their driveway. The woman who was driving had just gotten out when a large tree branch fell onto the SUV, and her son was still inside.
He managed to escape with only a few cuts.
“It’s a huge mess,” said Mike Drabek, the owner of Woodsman Services. “Destroyed the fence and some other ornamentals and some patio furniture. More than anything, no one got hurt.”
The mother said she received a note in a fortune cookie earlier that night that said, “Long life is in store for you.”
“Her fortune cookie said, ‘You have a long live to live,’ or something to that degree,” Drabek said. “I thought, ‘That’s pretty accurate.’”
Woodsman Services was called to clean up other scenes in Warren and at the Detroit-Ferndale border.
“We have another pretty nasty one in Warren,” Drabek said. “It smashed a whole bunch of play area where the kids would have been.”
In Detroit, some residents are on their second day without power.
“Been out of power since yesterday afternoon,” Martez Wilson said. “I take care of my 93-year-old grandfather. He needs lights to see. We’ve got two portable lamps to help out somewhat, but for him to get around, making food is very difficult for him.”
DTE Energy said crews from Kentucky and Indiana have arrived to help. The company hopes most customers will have power restored by Friday night. Everyone should have power back by Saturday, DTE said.
Drabek recommends having a tree company check nearby trees before major storms.
You can watch Megan Woods’ full story in the video below.