Tornado leaves trail of destruction in White Lake Township; thousands still without power

WHITE LAKE TOWNSHIP, Mich. (FOX 2) - A tornado left behind a trail of destruction Saturday in White Lake Township.

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"It was very terrifying. My kids are, especially my little guy, they are traumatized. I can’t really talk about that night with," said Elizabeth Nieves.

Nieves said she sat down to watch a movie with her family when the tornado hit. Her son opened the door and witnessed the storm firsthand.

"When he opens the door and saw the tornadoes in front of us he said, ‘God please tell me this is not how I’m going to die,’" she said.

One neighbor said it was like a bomb went off. The tornado's 100 mph winds damaged homes, snapped trees in half, and downed power lines, leaving thousands without power. 

"The biggest challenge is always trying to coordinate everything," township supervisor Rick Kowall. "We’ve become very reliant on cell phones, and lo and behold they don’t work so we have to find other means. Thank goodness for our radios."

DTE crews expect to have the power back on at 96% of the homes by Tuesday afternoon.