Severe thunderstorms barrel through southern Michigan producing multiple tornadoes that cause significant damage.
In western Michigan, several tornadoes touched down in Kalamazoo County near Portage and Calhoun County.
In southeast Michigan, a tornado watch is in effect for Lenawee, Monroe and Washtenaw counties, as well as severe thunderstorm warnings, including hail and strong winds, for southeast Livingston County and southern Oakland County.
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Several injuries were reported at a mobile home park hit by the tornado
About a dozen residents of the Pavilion Estates mobile home community in Pavilion Township outside Portage were injured in Tuesday’s storms. At least one woman was trapped inside her home, which was destroyed, according to neighbors. Nick Ormold, director of public safety for the city of Portage, said emergency crews will work through Tuesday night to get a full account of residents and make sure no one is trapped inside.
7 structures were destroyed in Branch County
A tornado moving out of St. Joseph County destroyed seven structures in Sherwood Township, mostly homes, Branch County Emergency Manager Tim Miner said, with no deaths or serious injuries.
Portage had no serious injuries
City officials say there were no serious injuries after Tuesday night’s tornado tore through several residential and commercial buildings in Portage, Mich.
In a 10 p.m. news release, Portage officials urged residents to continue sheltering in place and stay off roadways to allow access for first responders.
Whitmer declared a state of emergency
Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer declared a state of emergency for several counties in southwest Michigan following the storm. Kalamazoo, St. Joseph, Branch and Cass counties are included, according to a release from the governor’s office.
“My heart goes out to everyone in Southwest Michigan who was affected by the severe weather tonight,” said Governor Whitmer. “State and local emergency crews are on the ground and working together to help Michiganders. I have declared a state of emergency and activated our State Emergency Operations Center to ensure resources are rushed to the area. We will continue to monitor the situation and coordinate efforts overnight. Thank you to all first responders who are working hard to keep Michiganders safe. I want to say. We’ll get through this together.”
A second tornado was confirmed in Portage, west of Battle Creek
An hour after a major tornado destroyed Portage, the National Weather Service in Grand Rapids, south of Kalamazoo, reported a second tornado touched down near Portage at about 7:20 p.m.
At 7:43 p.m., a separate tornado was confirmed by the National Weather Service west of Battle Creek near Galesburg, moving northeast at 40 mph. A severe thunderstorm warning, including quarter-sized hail and 60 mph winds, is in effect for parts of Calhoun County until 9 p.m.
FedEx facility collapsed; Many buildings were damaged after the Portage tornado
After the first tornado in Portage, several buildings were significantly damaged, including the FedEx facility.
Jude’s Barber Shop in Portage on Center Road also reported damage to its Plaza building: “The tornado hit our barber shop in Portage on Center Road. Fortunately, everyone is safe.”
Drone footage taken in Portage shows the extent of the damage caused by the tornado.
WBND-TV (South Bend, Indiana) Portage Mayor Particia Randall said, “Two tornadoes hit Portage this evening causing extensive damage to residential and commercial property. … No injuries or fatalities have been reported at this time.”
As of 1:10 a.m. Wednesday, more than 25,000 Consumer Energy and 2,700 Midwest Energy & Communications customers were without power.
St. Joseph County confirms the damage
St. Joseph County Undersheriff Jason Bingaman confirmed damage was reported at several locations in the southwestern Michigan county Tuesday evening.
“Right now, we are focusing on life-saving operations using all available resources, and then we will begin preliminary damage assessments,” Bingaman said.
This is a growing story.
