A brief but intense thunderstorm that swept through Macomb County on Tuesday afternoon knocked down numerous trees and power lines, causing traffic backups in addition to the regular rush hour jams.

The storm caused numerous traffic signals to become inoperable in the center of the county.

Although Sterling Heights city officials described damage to homes to be “minimal,” a large tree on power lines fell on to Utica Road near Hayes Road. Traffic to the area was closed as DTE workers arrived to repair the mess.

One police officer working the area described it as being similar to a “disaster area. There’s multiple trees and power lines knocked down.”

No injuries were reported.

Uprooted trees were also reported in Clinton Township and Warren via social media.

Macomb County was under a severe thunderstorm warning for several hours Tuesday afternoon, according to the National Weather Service. Officials said the storms packed 60 mph wind gusts, a speed that can cause damage to roofs, siding, and trees.

DTE reported nearly 34,000 homes and businesses in the tri-county area were left without power after the storm moved through the county. That number includes 1,000 customers each in Sterling Heights, Fraser, and Eastpointe, according to DTE’s online outage map.

Meteorologists say the thunderstorms were expected to provide some relief from the heat, which has been in the mid 90-degree range in recent days. Tuesday marked the fourth consecutive day of dangerously hot conditions, according to the weather service.

With the humidity factored in, it felt like 98 to 102 degree outside, officials said.

The storm came six days after another damaging system moved through the county. A weak tornado embedded in the system caused damage to about 20 homes in the 14 Mile and Garfield area of Fraser on June 18.

The weather service said there is a chance of more strong thunderstorms Wednesday through Friday. Heavy rainfall and localized flooding are the main concerns.