Toddler killed, mother injured as tornado topples tree onto Detroit-area home

Southeast Michigan hammered by severe storms, killing 2-year-old child

Severe weather outside of Detroit caused major damage to trees and homes on Wednesday. Local officials said a child was killed and at least one other family member was injured after a large tree fell during a tornado.

LIVONIA, Mich. – A storm with little warning caused havoc in communities outside of Detroit on Wednesday, killing a child and leaving the mother with critical injuries, local officials said.

Livonia Fire Chief Robert Jennison said his crews spent more than an hour trying to free a family from their home after it was partially crushed by a falling tree.

The toddler’s mother was reportedly lying in bed with the child when the tree crashed into their home during the severe storm.

"The roof had to be removed to get to the tree, to get to the victims," Jennison told FOX 2 Detroit. "About a dozen chainsaws and 25 firefighters (had to cut) the tree to pieces."

The storm that caused the destruction spawned an EF-1 tornado with winds that were estimated to be 90 and 95 mph, according to the local office of the National Weather Service.

The tornado was estimated to have been on the ground for over 5 miles and, during its trek, damaged homes and trees on the western side of the metro.

"Obviously, this is a very traumatic scene," Jennison said. "Our thoughts and prayers go out to the friends and family of the victims. This was a tough day."

TORNADOES SPOTTED OUTSIDE WASHINGTON, DC, AS FIREFIGHTERS RACE TO FREE STORM VICTIMS FROM DAMAGE

A storm with little warning caused havoc in communities outside of Detroit on Wednesday.

(FOX 2)

'It was something very unpredictable'

Unlike many storms that are tornado-warned, NWS meteorologists did not issue a Tornado Warning for the cell, and emergency management did not activate alerts such as tornado sirens.

"The City of Livonia activates warning sirens based on notifications from the National Weather Service or tornado reports," Livonia Fire officials wrote on Facebook Wednesday. "However, Livonia Emergency Preparedness Director Brian Kahn said the City did not receive any advance warning from the NWS or others. A representative from the NWS called it a spin-up storm which didn’t show up on their radars in enough time to issue a warning."

Dozens of other trees in Livonia and nearby communities were either damaged or uprooted.

As of Thursday evening, DTE Energy reported more than 20,000 were still without power following the severe storms. 

The state’s governor pledged resources would be devoted to restoring services as quickly as possible.

"My team has been in touch with the Livonia mayor following today’s severe weather. It’s tragic to hear about the death of a young Michigander. For those affected by the storm, emergency response teams are on the ground and the utilities will be working to get power restored," Governor Gretchen Whitmer said in a statement.

2 DEAD, 44 INJURED AFTER AN EF-3 TORNADO TEARS THROUGH MICHIGAN TOWN

The tornado in Livonia was one of two that impacted Michigan on Wednesday, with several other twisters reported around the metros of D.C. and Baltimore.

The storms were triggered by the same storm system, which is expected to keep the Northeast unsettled through the remaining days of the workweek.

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Tornado spotted live on-air outside nation's capital

Severe thunderstorms produced funnel clouds and tornadoes outside of Washington, D.C. in Maryland on Wednesday evening.