Authorities in Michigan say a toddler has died and his mother has been hospitalized after a tornado struck their home while they were asleep
Authorities in Michigan say a toddler has died and his mother has been hospitalized after a tornado struck their home while they were asleep.
The “quick-developing tornado” developed around 3:30 p.m. local time on Wednesday, June 5, and subsequently struck multiple neighborhoods in Livonia, according to a news release from city officials.
A “massive tree” that was uprooted in the storm fell onto a house “where a mother and her 2-year-old child were sleeping” in bed.
City officials said the child “was pronounced dead at the scene.” His mother was transported to Livonia Trinity Hospital in critical condition.
Officials said it took crews nearly an hour to remove the victims from the home due to the damage caused by the tree.
Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
A 2-week-old child and their grandmother were in another room when the inci -
dent occurred, according to NBC affiliate WDIV-TV.
“This is a terrible tragedy for our community,” Mayor Maureen Miller Brosnan said in a statement shared in the release. “Our hearts are broken, too, and we send our deepest sympathies.”
The tornado that ripped through Livonia came from a line of storms that “suddenly became severe” as they entered the area, the city said.
City officials said the National Weather Service “called it a spin-up storm,” which apparently did not appear on radars “in enough time to issue a warning.”
The twister remained on the ground for about five minutes “before dissipating at Seven Mile and Middle Belt Roads.”
Brosnan applauded first responders for their efforts following the storm. “Our first responders are the best around,” she said.
The mayor also thanked “all the caring neighbors who worked hard to clear trees and assist our firefighters and officers.”
Related Articles
Follow Us
What the Pentagon Has Learned? Are UFOs Real...
See Every Dallas Cowboys Cheerleader Uniform ...
3 Coyotes Killed After 5-Year-Old Girl Attack...
Susan Sarandon's Floral Mother-of-the-Br...
After Vulgar Testimony, Lead Investigator in ...
Woman Calls Out Instacart Over Missing Pack &...
Savannah Chrisley Says Dad Todd Is 'Fine&...
‘We’re on a Good Path': Starliner Astrona...
At Least 60 Killed in Stampede at Religious E...
Summer House's Ciara Miller Shares Her Ha...