Detroit Mayor declares State of Emergency after tornado hits city's east side
DETROIT (FOX 2) - Detroit Mayor Mary Sheffield has declared a State of Emergency after a tornado slammed into the city on Thursday as severe storms rolled through Southeast Michigan.
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Mayor Sheffield announced on Friday that she has signed an Executive Order declaring a Local State of Emergency. This comes after Detroit had its first tornado in nearly three decades, primarily hitting the city's Eastside, collapsing structures and uprooting trees.
What does a State of Emergency mean for Detroit?
Volunteers across Metro Detroit clean up, rebuild after tornado and storms
NWS confirms a tornado touched down on Detroit’s east side Thursday, causing massive damage and leaving thousands without power.
The declaration Mayor Sheffield signed gives her the authority to mobilize local resources to help clean up and support residents impacted in the area. It also allows the city to communicate with state and federal officials for possible federal resources being deployed.
The affected area, according to the mayor, includes Sylvester Street to the north, E. Jefferson to the south, Chene to the west and McClellan to the east. The mayor also includes Belle Isle, which experienced significant damage, as well.
"I spent a good amount of time in the hardest hit area earlier today and the devastation I witnessed is unlike anything I’ve seen before," said Mayor Sheffield. "An emergency declaration is clearly warranted in this case so we can bring support to residents in this area as quickly as possible."
Here is the full declaration:
"On Thursday, September 3, 2026, the city of Detroit experienced severe storm weather that caused extensive damage…. As of Friday, September 4, 2026, there are continuing threats to the public health, safety, and welfare, as well as property damage in the Affected Area.
"Chapter 14 of the 2019 Detroit City Code, "Emergency Management," defines the operative term: "Emergency means any disaster, or threat of disaster, where the Mayor determines that the exercise or discharge of emergency powers to save lives, to protect the public health, safety and property, or to lessen or to avert the threat of a catastrophe within the City." Detroit Code Section 14-1-6 provides, "Whenever, on the basis of information received from authoritative sources, the Mayor believes that an emergency exists, the Mayor may issue such reasonable orders, directives, regulations, or rules as are necessary to protect life and property."
"Therefore, acting under Michigan law and the Detroit Code…a local state of emergency is declared for the Affected Area."
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Mayor: Detroit tornado touched down on city's east side, NWS confirms
A tornado touched down in Detroit on the city's east side during the bad weather blitz on Thursday, the National Weather Service has confirmed.
The Source: FOX 2 used information from previous reporting and from Mayor Mary Sheffield in this story.