Tornadoes have ripped through several Midwestern states, prompting Michigan to issue its first tornado emergency on record.
On Tuesday, Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer declared a state of emergency for Kalamazoo, St. Joseph, Branch and Cass counties in a statement on x.
‘My heart goes out to everyone affected by tonight’s severe weather in southwest Michigan. Emergency crews are on the ground and working to help Michiganders. I encourage everyone to continue monitoring severe weather alerts and follow the advice of emergency officials,” he said in a statement on X.
He also confirmed that the State Emergency Operations center was activated.
“We will continue to monitor the situation and coordinate efforts throughout the night.”
Tornadoes have ripped through several Midwestern states, causing Michigan to issue its first tornado emergency on record.
The roof partially collapsed as a result of the tornado.
Pictured: People leave after a tornado ripped through a mobile home park in Kalamazoo.
It is the first time on record (since 1999) that the state has issued a tornado emergency.
It is the first time on record (dating back to 1999) that the state has issued a tornado emergency, ABC reports.
A tornado that hit Portage, a city with a population of 50,000 in southern Michigan, left downed power lines, trees and other debris in its path of destruction.
Just over an hour later, a second tornado touched down around 7:20 p.m.
The National Weather Service confirmed a third tornado just west of Battle Creek, near Galesburg, moving northeast at 40 mph.
A severe thunderstorm warning including quarter-sized hail and wind gusts up to 60 mph is in effect for parts of Calhoun County until 9 p.m.
Portage Mayor Patricia Randall said first responders are still assessing the widespread damage, but “but with so many trees and wires down, travel is slow,” according to Washington Post.
No casualties related to the incident at the FedEx facility have been confirmed.
Seven structures, mostly homes, have been destroyed by a tornado that moved northeast from St. Joseph County, Branch County Emergency Manager Tim Miner said. Detroit Free Press. He confirmed that there were no deaths or injuries.
Nearly 20,000 people are without electricity, according to PowerOutage.us.
About 50 people were trapped inside a FedEx distribution facility. Downed power lines in the area delayed the start of the rescue mission.
The roof partially collapsed as a result of the tornado, mlive.com reported. The number of victims has not yet been confirmed.
FedEx issued a statement regarding the current situation.
“Our thoughts are with those affected by the tornado in Portage, Michigan, and we are grateful that there were no serious injuries as a result of the damage to our facility at 6701 Portage Road,” said company spokeswoman Shannon Davis.
Portage Mayor Patricia Randall said first responders are still assessing the widespread damage (pictured: tornado damage in Kalamazoo, MI).
“We continue to assess the damage and are implementing contingency plans to lessen any potential impact on service.”
A mobile home park also suffered massive destruction after a tornado ripped through the park, leaving homes in ruins and multiple injuries.
The destruction in Michigan comes just a day after at least 15 tornadoes tore across the southern plains. Authorities confirmed one death after a two-mile-wide tornado passed through Barnsdall, Oklahoma.
The storm zone, which stretches from Chicago to Nashville, Tennessee, is home to more than 35 million Americans.
Parts of Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio and Kentucky were under a tornado watch through Tuesday night.
There could be a few tornadoes, severe gusts up to 70 mph, and hail the size of baseballs.