Hurricane season officially began June 1 and it brought one heck of a storm as a welcoming party. The constant wind and downpours from Wednesday's inclement weather was the result of Tropical Storm Cristobol, which walloped the midwest and caused power outages numbering in the multiple hundreds of thousands.
Uprooting trees in some neighborhoods and shearing the roofs off in others, at least 280,000 customers of DTE and Consumer's Energy were still without power Thursday morning.
The damage was particularly visible on Detroit's east side and in Grosse Pointe Farms, where trees that normally offered shade to those on the sidewalk were now scattered on the street and resting on the tops of houses. For those that were left with property damage, it's yet another setback in a year that's seen a few.
"The ceiling caved in," said Kilolo Williams. "The sunporch, my brand new air conditioner unit that I just got fixed, it is smashed up. I don't know where I am going to go from here."
Williams was already stressed by her job at the hospital when she arrived home. June's newest headache is a major setback.
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Trees come down on east side as severe weather leaves trail of damage
The summer's first major storm did a number on Detroit's east side and Grosse Pointe Farms Wednesday.
"I saw that my sunroom was blowing off of its foundation, off the house," said Justin Macksoud, another neighbor. "It was in half, it had an upper half and a lower half. Almost like a mouth, chomping up and down. And when it went up one final time, I noticed there was a tree laying there. I looked in the backyard and my oak and my maple had knocked each other and left giant holes in the concrete."
The June 10 storm is the second major weather event to strike Michigan this year. It wasn't the wind but the rain that caused the bulk of the damage during a May storm that led to major flooding in Michigan when two dams failed near Midland.
Mother of Amazon driver facing felony charges says son tormented by arrest
Upon the release of dashcam footage showing the moments leading up to an Amazon delivery driver being arrested by Warren police, the city's police commissioner recommended felony charges of resisting arrest, failure to obey a lawful order, and failure to produce a valid driver's license.
The charges stem from a confrontation between law enforcement and 23-year-old Jaylen Bond who had parked his delivery truck the wrong way on the road. The aftermath of the arrest has "tormented" Bond, his mom Diane Byles Bond said.
"My son doesn't drink, doesn't smoke, he doesn't party," Diane said. "He doesn't do anything, but a felony? I don't understand it."
The tense scene was the culmination of months of complaints from neighbors upset over delivery drivers illegally parking when they were bringing packages to customers. Warren Police Commissioner Bill Dwyer said Tuesday's scene was "the perfect example" of a lodged complaint they had been receiving regarding the drivers.
When the officer arrived, it didn't take long for a conversation to turn into an argument.
Police: "I told you to move and you decided to go deliver a package.
Bond: "I'm going to get a ticket for this?"
Police: "You are going to get more if you don't show me your license."
Bond: "I'm getting my license out; hey I'm getting it out."
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Warren Police release dashcam video from the arrest of an Amazon driver
Police have released a nearly 8-minute long video of the arrest of an Amazon driver who police stopped after he parked on the wrong side of the street.
"Eleven times he asked for his driver's license. Eleven times. Had he worked with the officer he probably would've got a warning," said Dwyer.
Dwyer took extra time during a Wednesday press conference to say that excessive force was not used during the arrest, which comes at an incredibly tense time for police officers who are facing mass protests over police brutality and racial injustice.
Neighbor suspects arson in house fire case that killed three Thursday morning
An early morning house fire on Detroit's west side left three dead on Thursday. Detroit Police had taped off part of the street and sidewalk while they were investigating. While police would only confirm the number of fatalities, they did say that arson was a potential cause they were looking into.
A neighbor who said one of his good friends lived in the house and likely passed concurred.
"He was sitting here earlier today eating lunch. We were having cheese sandwiches," said a neighbor. "I come home, I get up and was like 'damn what was that big bang' I get up and look outside and the house is on fire."
K9 units likely searching for possible accelerants around the base of the house were spotted around 5 a.m. The fire continues to be investigated.
Daily Forecast
After a muggy and stormy couple of days, temperatures will cool into the 70's on Thursday. Expect mostly sunny skies.
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The storms are gone and temperatures are heading down!
We'll make it into the 70's this afternoon with mostly sunny skies.
NASCAR: Confederate flag prohibited at all events, properties
NASCAR on Wednesday announced it will ban the display of the Confederate flag at all of its events and properties.
"The presence of the confederate flag at NASCAR events runs contrary to our commitment to providing a welcoming and inclusive environment for all fans, our competitors and our industry," the privately-owned company tweeted. "Bringing people together around a love for racing ad the community it creates is what makes our fans and sport special."