Strong winds caused citywide damage to power lines and trees

A huge tree at Carpenter fell on a power line during the windstorm on Wednesday.

A huge tree at Carpenter fell on a power line during the windstorm on Wednesday.

 

 

By Charles Sercombe
Much like the rest of the metro area, Hamtramck experienced its share of damage from Wednesday’s windstorm.
Wind gusts of up to 50-60 miles per hour hammered the area.
At press time on Thursday, there was one house fire on Gallagher caused by a power line surge.
“Fortunately, we got a good stop on it,” said Fire Chief Danny Hagen. “That was the first call of this adventure.”
At least three large trees fell, on Goodson, Hanley and Carpenter, two of which rested on live power lines.
A street light pole toppled over on Hanley, exposing a rotted out core. That pole also was wrapped up in a live wire.
Behind Mostek Paint and Glass on Jos. Campau a utility pole threatened to fall over, held up by wires. Despite police tape blocking off the area, pedestrians were seen walking casually past the pole.
On the other side of Carpenter on the Detroit side another utility pole was about to fall down.

A utility pole leans toward falling over behind Mostek and Paint Company.

A utility pole leans toward falling over behind Mostek and Paint Company.

The winds started a little before noon and did not let up until about 10 p.m.
In the late afternoon DTE Energy reported over 600,000 households in the area were without power.
Parts of Hamtramck were also out of power – mostly on the southend. According to DTE Energy, service should be restored by 11:30 p.m. Friday, March 10.
Fire Chief Hagen said that despite the damage, there were no injuries. In all, firefighters responded to 21 calls here and in Detroit regarding wind-related damage.
The windstorm also blew off house siding, swept away plastic porch chairs and garbage cans and piled up loose trash. If the city wanted to, it could have easily swept up the mounds of garbage swooped up by the winds and deposited in convenient rows and in nooks and crannies.
Ha!
Just kidding, the city would never take advantage of Mother Nature’s power blower.
Wednesday’s storm conjured up the folk saying about this month, which at times “comes in like a lion, goes out like a lamb.”
The back story on that is, the month is still hanging onto winter temps, but then mixes with spring like weather, causing a collision of sorts.

On Goodson another large tree toppled during the storm, but this time avoided any power lines.

On Goodson another large tree toppled during the storm, but this time avoided any power lines.

As Sadie Stein, writing for the Paris Review, said in an essay in 2015 (thank you Google):
“In like a lion, and out like a lamb has always seemed a straightforward enough proverb: when March starts, it’s still winter, and by the end of the month spring has begun. True, in many climates the weather hasn’t quite reached the lamb stage by the end of the month — it’s more like a surly cat, maybe, or one of those awful territorial honking geese. …”

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