Updated: Tree Crashes Through Roof of Home; Couple Not Hurt
A 110-foot tree split in two and crashed into second-floor sewing room during a several thunderstorm that swept through Clawson, causing widespread damage and power outtages.
Photos
Jack Uelsmann and his wife, Carol, were sitting in the breezeway of their Clawson home late Wednesday afternoon when they heard a loud noise – the sound of a 110-foot tree crashing through the roof of their two-story home.
"I was scared out my mind," Carol Uelsmann said.
Neither of the Uelsmanns was injured, but the home at the corner of Phillips Avenue and North Washington, where the couple has lived for 25 years, didn't escape quite so easily. The 110-foot tree that split in half and fell into the home destroyed a second-floor sewing room.
The incident about 4:45 p.m. seemed to be the worst caused by Wednesday's severe thunderstorm, but there was widespread damage to other Clawson neighborhoods as well.
Debris from the Uelsmanns' roof, ceiling and walls was scattered through the destroyed room. The back of the home, which was built in 1954, and the roof had severe damage; tree debris was strewn across the backyard and front yard. A power line fell in the backyard, but the couple said they still had power.
Clawson police officer Ian Calamita was at the Uelsmann's home Wednesday evening to make sure there was no immediate danger to residents or neighbors from the downed power lines and collapsed tree.
"It's the worst damage I've seen," Calamita said.
"That's a big tree," said Jack Uelsmann, who planned to contact the couple's homeowners insurance company about the incident.
Storm damage elsewhere
Police, firefighters and Department of Public Works workers were out Wednesday evening inspecting the damage and downed power lines in the neighborhoods and were helping to clean up debris. Countless branches were scattered throughout residents' yards and City Park.
Before inspecting the Uelsmanns' home, officials were at a home on West Elmwood responding to a downed power line that had fallen into a resident's pool. No one was injured.
As of Thursday morning, DTE Energy reported 30 homes throughout Clawson with power outages.
James Van Dyke, who lives on the 700 block of Phillips, said he sat in his living room and watched at least five trees fall on his street. Van Dyke has lived in his home since 1962 and said he hadn't seen a storm knock down trees in 10 years.
"I couldn't believe it," Van Dyke said. "They need to get rid of all these trees. They are all big and old."
Van Dyke's next door neighbor, Kelly Brothers, said she was not home when the tree in her front yard fell on her roof. She said she was shocked when a neighbor called to tell her the news. The tree that fell caused minor damage and the inside of her house was unharmed.
"I set myself up for the worst," Brothers said, as she picked up the strewn tree branches in her front yard. "So I was kind of relieved when I got home."
Brothers said she also expects an insurance contractor to inspect her home on Thursday.
Clean-up efforts
On Thursday morning, DPW workers continued to clean up tree branches that had fallen across city parks and yards from the storm. Workers were out until about 8 p.m. Wednesday, said Laura Willard, a DPW office worker.
Willard said the storm snapped several power wires in Clawson and the city called on DTE Energy to help clear them.
"It was pretty extensive," Willard said.
Residents with branches in their yard are asked to set them near the street and DPW workers will remove them in the next couple days.
If you have photos of storm damage, you can add them to the photo gallery or send them to nicquel.terry@patch.com with details.
Patch Contributor Ryan Cox contributed to this report.
michael J
10:27 pm on Wednesday, June 22, 2011
I was in my Computer room when the blast of wind came, it came in 3 stages, the finnal one actually left a vacume in my room, in my ears, papers were inticed towards the open windows, thinking not much of it, shortly after, I heard the sirens, knowing of our over size trees in the "hood, I set out on a walk, I met Kelley, (see pictures) we both mentioned the 200 ft tree she had taken dowm shortly after moving in, we all were amazed, since this tree was huge, having 5 trunks. she was told it was decaying, coulod not prove it by us, it was hu8ge and so gigantic, yet one trunk did have a brown core when it was felled. imagine if it was still there?
We all know the huge trees over here and thru out Cloawson, are at the end of there life cycle, we have had our power interupted 4 times in recent yr's, cause of huge limbs falling during a storm, matter of fact a neighbor up the street, met me we both said "wow" "we excaped this one", one of the transformers has had to be replaced twice cause of the abuse, we had to wait for 3 to 4 days, since we were part of bigger outages, this one seems to be very local and DTE had man power waiting. The big factor, is those big huge gigantic stateley Tree's, are peaked out, just a matter of time, the right velocity of the perfect storm, they too will come down. Glad no one was hurt.
michael J
7:09 am on Thursday, June 23, 2011
Check the video, Check my blog, it was so soreal, the way some papers were siphened towards the open windows, The tree, that snapped was decayed, had hidden cancer, so did the one at City Park, ever wonder why one tree comes down and others near by are left standing So tree huggers, there are times to say, it is time, and plant a new one.