A day after thunderstorms and tornadoes ravaged West Michigan, leaving a trail of rubble that weather and emergency officials began assessing at daylight Wednesday, community leaders assured residents that ‘they were going to rebuild.
“It’s very tragic to see the pain of people who lost their homes,” Nick Armold, public safety director for the city of Portage, said at a news conference Wednesday. “But we will get over this – we will help them get over this – and until this is all sorted out, public safety will be at the forefront.”
Kalamazoo County – which includes Portage and the Pavilion Estates mobile home community – appears to have been hit hardest by the destruction, with more tornadoes hitting Indiana and Ohio, which meteorologists say are expected at this time of year.
On Wednesday evening, the National Weather Service confirmed that three tornadoes touched down in Michigan. One of them was in Portage. A second landed in Union City, in Branch County, and Centerville, in St. Joseph County, senior meteorologist Nathan Marsili said.
He said a third landed in Berrien and Cass counties.
And for the first time in Michigan, a tornado emergency — the weather service’s highest alert level — was issued. This designation, created about a decade ago, indicates that catastrophic damage was imminent with a dangerous, even deadly, tornado heading toward populated areas.
But according to public safety officials, no one was killed.
Emergency officials say the injured included a handful of people who were taken to hospitals and 176 homes were destroyed at the mobile home park, a FedEx facility and other buildings in Portage and the St. Joseph and Branch counties.
“Early warnings saved lives,” said Ernie Ostuno, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Grand Rapids, adding that awareness of the dangerous weather event helped. “The warnings were issued and people responded.”
The warning systems, police officials echoed at their news conference, worked.
Where tornadoes did not touch down, the threat ended, in most places, around midnight.
Restore power, clear debris
Still, utility crews were scrambling early Wednesday to reconnect power to tens of thousands of homes, promising that most would have power restored by midnight, although many would still be without power Thursday — and possibly be beyond.
“Tomorrow,” said Portage Mayor Patricia Randall, “we pray for a return to power.”
As of Wednesday afternoon, about 27,000 Michigan homes and businesses were without power as utilities, primarily Consumers Energy, said about 20,000 customers were still without power.
“Our storm response teams are working around the clock to restore power as quickly as possible,” consumers said, urging people to report serious concerns to 911 and by calling the utility at 800-477 -5050, to stay at least 25 feet from downed power lines and “keep children and pets away.”
Watch the videos:West Michigan tornadoes leave room for destruction
And Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, who visited Kalamazoo County, assured residents — especially those experiencing homelessness — that help was on the way.
“My heart goes out to everyone affected by last night’s severe weather,” the governor said in declaring a state of emergency in southwest Michigan. “State and local emergency crews are on the ground working together to help Michiganders.”
For many residents, the severe storms passed quickly.
Susan Sackett, of Portage, told the Free Press that when the telephone tornado alert went off, the family ran to the basement, heard banging on their ranch and, within about 30 seconds, danger seemed to pass by and a tree fell on it. on top of a car – until they received a second tornado warning.
“We all went back to the basement,” she said. “That passed and we started assessing the damage and checking in with our neighbors to make sure everyone was OK.”
News reports initially reported that up to 50 people were trapped in the FedEx building, but Armold clarified Wednesday and again at the news conference that when Portage first responders arrived, “no one was injured and no one was stuck there.”
Related:West Michigan tornadoes injure many at mobile home park, damage FedEx facility
In the hardest-hit areas, emergency services began searching for residents whose whereabouts were not immediately known, and as the storms headed east, weather service officials said, they still caused damage but lost considerable power.
There was some debris in metro Detroit, the White Lake Township weather service said, mostly along the shores of Lake St. Clair and parts of Macomb County, but it was far from be comparable to the devastation Michiganders on the other side of the state faced.
In the west of the state, several homes were razed, destroyed and demolished. The strong winds felled trees, twisted metal, tore off roofs and, according to security officials, in a few cases even upended a few houses.
Where are you looking for shelter?
Before the storm, many of the mobile home’s approximately 3,000 residents had left their homes and sought shelter with relatives because there was no shelter on site, the sheriff’s office said. But a few dozen residents, who had nowhere to go, were transported to a public shelter about 6 kilometers away.
As a safety measure, the Michigan Manufactured Housing Commission requires mobile home communities built after 1995 to have an on-site storm shelter, and safety experts urge mobile home residents to have another place where they can go to a tornado warning.
After the storms passed, more than a dozen fragile manufactured homes – particularly vulnerable to destructive tornadoes – appeared to have been lifted, shaken and toppled onto their side.
Tornadoes, according to the weather service, are among the deadliest weather events, with the most violent lifting cars into the air, ripping homes to shreds and turning broken glass and other flying debris into deadly missiles.
Brian Cizauskas, of Portage, said Wednesday that the tornado happened so suddenly that he noticed the wind picking up, then the rain, then the trees were swaying – and suddenly there was debris, sidings, passing in front, and that’s when he took refuge with his family in the basement.
Potentially more than 100 people needed shelter, Portage city spokeswoman Mary Beth Block told the Free Press, with displaced residents staying at the local First Assembly of God church at 5500 Oakland Drive .
A second shelter at Radiant Church, 995 Romence Road, was also opened.
People who need help can call 211 or the Red Cross at 800-733-2767.
Block said many people have asked how they can help, including through donations or cleanup, and the city is working on a plan. However, she added, authorities are asking residents not to try to clean public spaces yet because there could still be hidden dangers, such as downed power lines.
A message: “Rise above”
Weather has been an issue in the western part of the state this year. In addition to destructive tornadoes, weekend rain and wind in the Netherlands damaged flowers at the Tulip Time Festival, organizers said.
The storms, which forced cancellations, added to the annual tourism events’ woes.
Kalamazoo County Sheriff Richard Fuller said at least one tornado ripped through the county, sweeping through the area from Texas Township, through Portage and into Pavilion Township, with “significant damage.” to homes, including 15 or more that were “totally destroyed.”
He described a community filled with rubble.
Houses were on roads and on top of other houses, as were trees, tree branches and broken vehicles.
More:Tornado in Portage, Michigan destroys mobile homes, injures about 12
At one point, Fuller said, more than 100 first responders were at the mobile home park treating people’s injuries and going door to door reporting on residents and searching for anyone who might have been injured or missing.
And just as rescuers were helping residents, another storm cell swept through the area.
“The good thing is we’re hearing more and more,” Fuller said, adding that first responders have “done several searches to verify the information, but no one in these homes was seriously injured.”
Michigan power outage map:How to check your status after the latest round of storms
The Red Cross, Fuller added, was working to find shelter for residents who had lost their homes, and wireless phone companies were trying to set up temporary networks to allow families – and anyone who might need help – to communicate.
At the news conference, Fuller said he was heartened by the stories he heard from residents who heeded the warnings and said they narrowly escaped tragedy, taking shelter in the toilets and elsewhere.
“All of these things were successes,” the sheriff said, adding that one of the most hopeful things he saw on the way to the event was a license plate that read: Rise Above.” He added: It was the perfect message “on a day like today” and it’s the message that “everyone can take away from it.”
Staff writer Jenna Prestininzi contributed to this report. Contact Frank Witsil: 313-222-5022 or fwitsil@freepress.com.
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