UPDATE: Clawsonites Unite For Storm Cleanup; 1,000 Still Without Power

High piles of branches line the curbs of the south end of Clawson as the neighborhood cleans up after a brief but powerful storm blew through the area late Saturday afternoon.

Debris is still scattered across yards, and sounds of chain saws echo on almost every block.

Late Sunday night, DTE Energy was reporting a little more than 1,000 customers without power. Yellow caution tape guards danger zones where power lines are still down.

Many residents said Saturday night's powerful storm left the worst damage they've seen. But the neighborhood unity in Clawson has made this challenge a bit easier for those affected.

"All of the neighbors came out and cleaned it all up," said Ryan Pote, who lives on the 600 block of Redruth.

Pote said several tree branches fell in his yard during Saturday's storm, and one heavy branch fell on his daughter's car and cracked the windshield and side mirror. Neighbors with chain saws came over and cut up some of the larger branches, he said. 

Detective Lt. Scott Sarvello said police responded to calls all night and that the responded to more than 50 calls. There were no injuries reported.

Sarvello said firefighters and Department of Public Works employees were out past midnight Saturday and started cleanup efforts again early Sunday. He said there were uprooted trees, fallen branches, damage to homes and cars and downed power lines that led to structure fires Saturday.

Troy Police and Fire departments assisted, he said. 

"I would definitely call it severe damage," Sarvello said. "It's complete chaos. I feel bad for the residents down there."

DPW workers say it could take one to two weeks to clean up all the damage.

Bob Kopp, the landlord of a home on the corner Nakota and Marias, said he lost three trees in the storm. One tree fell on tenant Jennifer Perkins' truck, and two other vehicles parked on the lot suffered damage from the fallen debris.

"I was screaming bloody murder," Perkins said. "I saw the tree fall on the truck."

Kopp said a lot of neighbors came through to help them clean up in the aftermath of the storm.

"People that I didn't even know came to help," Perkins said.

Saturday's storm may have looked like a tornado to some residents, but meteorologists say it's very unlikey.

Doppler radar, which detects rotation, showed no rotational signature to indicate there was a tornado in the area, said Dick Wagenmaker of the National Weather Service. Radar indicates straight-line wind, sometimes called a downburst. Wagenmaker says turbulent clouds producing hard rain can sometimes "look funny" and are often mistaken for tornados.

The Myren family was on vacation Saturday and missed the storm — but returned home Sunday afternoon to a disastrous front yard and backyard.

Jim Myren said one tree fell in his front yard, crushing the roof of his house, and he said there were also trees that fell in the back.

Myren said the storm also damaged the garage, the above-ground pool and a tree house.

Neighbors started cleaning up his yard Saturday and called him to let him know about the storm.

"It wasn't as bad as I expected," Myren said. "Luckily, we have very nice neighbors."