A toddler was killed and his mother was injured when a tornado struck suburban Detroit without warning, while five people were injured when a tornado in Maryland collapsed structures and trapped people inside. Officials in Livonia, Michigan, said the tornado tore through several neighbourhoods on Wednesday afternoon and developed so quickly that there was no advance notice from the National Weather Service or others that would have normally led to the activation of warning sirens.
VIDEO: Multiple tornadoes hit Maryland
Emergency workers responded to reports that people were trapped inside structures that collapsed after a tornado was spotted in the area during rounds of strong storms Wednesday night. The storm uprooted a massive tree that fell on one family’s house and came through the roof, landing on a bed where a woman and her 2-year-old were sleeping, officials said in a post on the city’s website. Crews worked for nearly an hour to remove the roof and parts of the tree and then lift the tree to get the victims out.
The toddler was pronounced dead at the scene, officials said. The mother was transported to a local hospital in critical condition.
Trees collapsed in powerful tornadoes
A tornado was spotted in a suburban area of Montgomery County northwest of Washington, the National Weather Service said in a social media post warning people in the area to take cover. There were reports of three collapsed structures in Gaithersburg with people trapped inside, Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Service spokesperson Pete Piringer said.
Piringer said the most significant damage occurred when a large tree fell on a single-family house, leaving five people injured, including one with traumatic injuries. He said they were all transported to a hospital. Local television footage showed large downed trees that damaged houses when they fell. David Pazos, Montgomery County Fire and Rescue assistant chief, said there were a lot of power outages.
“We don’t know what people’s needs are, so we’re having to go door to door to assess whether they need fire and rescue services or need relocation because of damage to their homes,” he said.
Montgomery County resident George Mhanno told Washington, DC TV station WJLA that he hid in his bathtub during the storm, until firefighters told him to get out. He said he can’t go back into his house until a tree that fell on it is removed. “I can’t go in because we have the yellow tape. So we can’t pass by until maybe tomorrow, probably even the weekend. They need to get a crane or something to get the tree off,” he said.
(With inputs from agencies)
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