A 64-year-old Clawson man was injured when a tree fell on him and his work van in the 5000 block of Woodfall Road during the highwind storm, 11:56 p.m., March 8.
Independence Township paramedics took him to McLaren for treatment. The man was not seriously injured. A passerby found him on the ground after the tree struck him. Both tail lights of the van were broken, and broken parts of the tree were around the vehicle. The home owner was in the basement at the time and was unaware of the injury.
Loss of power from the storm also closed Andersonville Elementary and Bailey Lake Elementary, March 9. BLE also closed on March 13 due to replacement of the transformer. As of Monday, DTE Energy restored power to 755,000 of the 800,000 customers who lost power in the storm. All were expected to have power restored by Tuesday. According to the National Weather Service, the March 8 storm created gust speeds of up to 68 mph, highest wind speed of 49 mph, with an average wind speed of 25.7 mph.
Independence Township DPW is accepting tree debris from residents this week, through March 17, from 8 a.m.-5 p.m. at 6050 Flemings Lake Road. Show driver’s license for proof of township residency. Call 248-625-8222.