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Lightning Strike Sends Tree Through Roof Of Southfield Home; 'I Was Terrified'

SOUTHFIELD (WWJ) - A huge tree outside a Southfield home snapped like a toothpick and crashed through a roof when it was struck by lightning Thursday morning.

"It was so loud, the house just shook," said Theresa Bullock, who owns the home on Woodcrest Court. "All the windows are blown out."

Bullock was jarred awake when it happened.

"It was this huge noise like a bomb, and then this fireball...I said it was a fireball, but apparently it was lightning — and the house started shaking," Bullock said. "I was terrified; I was here by myself."

"I got up with a small flashlight that I keep on my nightstand," she continued. "There's three bedrooms upstairs, and the bedrooms in the front of the house... I could tell with the little light I had that all those windows were blown out, all the pictures were off the walls, they're on the floor, there's glass everywhere."

lightning tree 2
(credit: Vickie Thomas/WWJ)

A neighbor came to check on Bullock, who was uninjured in the ordeal.

Bullock then called 911 and a responding emergency crew determined there was no fire damage to the home itself, although the power was knocked out.

AccuWeather says more strong storms are in the forecast for metro Detroit, with thunderstorms are likely to develop throughout the day as the passage of a warm front moves across the state. The worst weather is expected between 5 p.m. Thursday and 1 a.m. Friday, with heavy rain and wind gusts of up to 60 miles per hour.

Know before you go: Keep it tuned to WWJ Newsradio 950 for the latest forecast duringtraffic and weather, every 10 minutes on the 8s. See the live, local radar now at this link.

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