A day after thunderstorms and tornadoes ripped through western Michigan, leaving a trail of debris, local leaders promised residents they would rebuild after weather and emergency officials began investigating in the light of day Wednesday. .
“It's very tragic to see the suffering of people who have lost their homes,” Portage Public Safety Director Nick Armold said at a news conference Wednesday. “But we will recover from it. We will help them recover from it. And until we get everything in place, public safety will be at the forefront.”
Kalamazoo County, which includes Portage and the Pavilion Estates mobile home community, appears to have taken the brunt of the destruction, with more tornadoes reportedly on the way in Indiana and Ohio, and meteorologists predicting It says tornadoes are expected.
On Wednesday night, the National Weather Service confirmed three tornadoes touched down in Michigan. One of them was in Portage. The second one touched down in Union City in Branch County and Centerville in St. Joseph County, said Senior Meteorologist Nathan Marsilli.
He said the third landed in Berrien and Cass counties.
For the first time in Michigan, a tornado emergency, the National Weather Service's highest alert level, has been issued. The designation, created about a decade ago, indicates that a dangerous and potentially deadly tornado is heading toward a populated area, indicating that catastrophic damage is imminent.
However, public security officials confidently stated that no one was killed.
Emergency officials said the injured included several people taken to hospitals and 176 homes, FedEx facilities and other buildings at mobile home parks in Portage, St. Joseph and Branch counties. was destroyed.
“Early warning saved lives,” said Ernie Ostuno, a National Weather Service meteorologist in Grand Rapids, adding that increased awareness of dangerous weather events helped. “The alarm was raised and people responded.”
Police officials reiterated at a press conference that the warning system worked.
In most areas where the tornado did not make landfall, the threat ended by midnight.
Restoration of power and removal of debris
Still, power company officials were scrambling early Wednesday morning to reconnect electricity to tens of thousands of homes, with many still without power on Thursday, but most. They promised that power would be restored by midnight, and the power would likely remain out even after that.
“Tomorrow, we hope to be back in power,” said Portage Mayor Patricia Randall.
An estimated 27,000 homes and businesses in Michigan were without power, according to a tally Wednesday afternoon, and utilities, primarily Consumers Energy, said about 20,000 customers remained without power. It was announced that there was.
“Our storm response teams are working around the clock to restore power as quickly as possible,” the consumer group said, adding that they should report serious concerns to 911 and call the utility company at 800-477 -5050) and asked people to stay at least 8 meters away from the power company. “Please keep children and pets away” as power lines are down.
Watch the video:West Michigan tornado leaves trail of destruction
And during a visit to Kalamazoo County, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer assured residents, especially those without homes, that help is on the way.
The governor declared a state of emergency for southwest Michigan, saying, “My thoughts and prayers go out to everyone affected by tonight's severe weather.” “State and local emergency teams are on the ground and working together to assist Michiganders.”
For many residents, the severe storm quickly passed.
Susan Sackett of Portage told the Free Press that when the tornado warning sounded, the family ran into the basement, heard a thud on the ranch house, and about 30 seconds later, the danger appeared to be over and the tree said that he had collapsed. From the top of my car–until the second tornado warning came out.
“We went back to the basement,” she said. “That passed and we started surveying the damage, contacting neighbors and making sure everyone was okay.”
News reports initially said as many as 50 people were trapped inside the FedEx building, but Armold said Wednesday that when Portage first responders arrived, “no one was injured and no one was trapped.” “There was no one there,” he reiterated at a press conference on Wednesday.
Related:West Michigan tornado leaves multiple injured at mobile home park, damages FedEx facility
In the worst-hit areas, emergency officials immediately began searching for unaccounted for residents, and as the storm moved eastward, damage was still being done but it had lost much of its effectiveness, National Weather Service officials said. Stated.
There was debris in metro Detroit, mostly along the shores of Lake St. Clair and parts of Macomb County, but nothing compared to the devastation faced by Michiganders on the other side of the state, according to the National Weather Service in White Lake Township. It is said that there was not.
In the western part of the state, several homes were crushed, destroyed and torn apart. Strong winds toppled trees, twisted metal, tore off roofs and, in some cases, even flipped several homes, safety officials said.
Where do you seek shelter?
Before the storm, many of the mobile home's roughly 3,000 residents had left their homes and sought shelter with relatives because there was no shelter on site, according to the sheriff's office. But dozens of residents who had nowhere else to go were taken to public evacuation centers about six miles away.
As a safety measure, the Michigan Housing Commission requires mobile home communities built after 1995 to have on-site storm shelters, and safety experts advise mobile home residents to protect themselves in the event of a tornado warning. We urge people to find another place to evacuate.
After the storm passed, more than a dozen delicate manufactured homes (particularly vulnerable to destructive twisting) appeared to have been lifted, tossed around and overturned.
According to the National Weather Service, tornadoes are among the deadliest weather phenomena, with the most severe lifting cars into the air, tearing homes to shreds, and turning broken glass and other flying debris into deadly missiles.
Brian Scisauskas of Portage said Wednesday that the tornado happened so suddenly that he noticed the wind picking up, the rain falling, the trees shaking, and all of a sudden debris was blowing across the street. He said he and his family evacuated to the town. Basement room.
Mary Beth Block, a spokeswoman for the city of Portage, told the Free Press that more than 100 people may be in need of shelter, and those evacuated will be sent to the local First Assembly of God, located at 5500 Oakland Drive. He said he was staying at the church.
A second shelter at Radiant Church, 995 Romance Road, has also opened.
If you need help, call 211 or the Red Cross at 800-733-2767.
Block said many people have asked how they can help, whether it's through donations or cleaning, and the city is working on a plan. However, authorities added that they are asking residents not to attempt to clean public spaces yet as hidden dangers such as downed power lines may still exist.
Message: “Rise”
Weather has been a problem in the western part of the state this year. In addition to the destructive tornado, the Dutch rain and wind over the weekend damaged the flowers at the Tulip Time festival, organizers said.
The annual tourist event was made even more difficult by the storm that forced its cancellation.
Kalamazoo County Sheriff Richard Fuller said at least one tornado struck the county, from Texas Township through Portage to Pavilion Township, leaving more than 15 homes “completely destroyed.” “Significant damage was caused,” he said.
He described a community filled with rubble.
Homes were on top of roads and other homes, as were trees, tree limbs, and destroyed vehicles.
more:Tornado destroys mobile home in Portage, Michigan, injuring about 12 people
At one point, more than 100 emergency workers were at the mobile home park treating people for injuries, going door-to-door to check on residents and searching for victims and missing people, Fuller said. That's what it means.
And while emergency workers were rescuing residents, another storm hit the area.
“The good thing is we're hearing more and more information,” Fuller said, adding that first responders “did a number of searches to confirm the information, but those homes sustained significant damage.” There was no one there,” he added.
Michigan power outage map:How to check your status after the recent storm
The Red Cross is working to find shelter for homeless residents, and wireless phone companies are trying to set up temporary networks to help families and people in need communicate, Fuller said. added.
At a press conference, Fuller said he was heartened by the stories he had heard from residents who heeded the warnings, which helped them hide in bathrooms and other places, narrowly avoiding tragedy.
“They were all successes,” the sheriff said, adding that one of the more hopeful things he saw on the way to the news event was a license plate that read “Rise Above.” He added that it's the perfect message “on a day like today” and that “everyone can gain from this.”
Staff writer Jenna Prestininzi contributed to this report. Frank Witsil: 313-222-5022 or fwitsil@freepress.com.