PORTAGE, Mich. – Officials say at least one tornado touched down in a Michigan city, causing major damage, power outages, and an emergency declaration.
📄 NEW: Update on damage, outages, traffic issues in Michigan city
City officials from Portage, Michigan, reported “significant damage” in the area bound by Centre Avenue, Oakland Drive, Schuring Road, and Westnedge Avenue.
Some reports say there were two or more tornadoes to tear through Southwest Michigan. The National Weather Service, which is in charge of confirming whether a tornado occurred, said early Wednesday that only one tornado was confirmed so far, and that was in Portage.
No injuries reported
No injuries have been reported, but several people are displaced.
The Salvation Army has set up two shelters for the people who lost their homes. One is at the First Assembly of God at 5550 Oakland Drive and the other is at Radiant Church at 995 Romence Road. Each shelter has a capacity of 100 people.
Multiple gas leaks have also been reported.
FedEx facility destroyed
Residential and commercial buildings were badly damaged during the storm, including a FedEx facility.
“Our thoughts are with those affected by the tornado in Portage, Michigan, and we are grateful there were no serious injuries resulting from the damage to our facility at 6701 Portage Road,” a FedEx spokesperson said in a statement. “We continue to assess the damage, and we are implementing contingency plans to lessen any potential impacts on service. Customers with questions about their shipments can check fedex.com for updates.”
Power outages
Several trees were also knocked down across the city.
Consumers Energy is working to restore power to customers with outages. As of midnight around 20,000 customers remained without power in the Portage area.
Most customers will not have their power back until around 10 p.m. Wednesday, May 8, the company reports.
Emergency declaration
Portage Mayor Patricia Randall issued an emergency declaration that will allow the city to receive resources from the state and federal governments.
Officials from Michigan State Police, the Kalamazoo County Sheriff’s Office, Kalamazoo Public Safety, the West Michigan 5th District Technical Rescue Team, LifeEMS, and others are currently helping in the aftermath of the storms.
Residents were asked to shelter in place and check on their neighbors. Stay off the roads to keep them clear for first responders.
State of emergency
Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer declared a state of emergency for Kalamazoo, St. Joseph, Branch, and Cass counties.
“My heart goes out to all those impacted by tonight’s severe weather in Southwest Michigan,” Whitmer said. “State and local emergency teams are on the ground and working together to assist Michiganders.”