A round of severe thunderstorms producing multiple tornadoes is barreling through southern Michigan, leaving significant damage in their wake.
In West Michigan, multiple tornadoes touched down in Kalamazoo County, near Portage, as well as one in Calhoun County.
In southeast Michigan, a tornado watch is active in Lenawee, Monroe and Washtenaw counties, as well as severe thunderstorm warnings, including hail and strong winds, in southeastern Livingston County and southern Oakland County.
Follow below for live weather updates.
Michigan weather radar:See the current conditions
No serious injuries reported
City officials say there are no reports of serious injuries following Tuesday night’s reported tornadoes that tore through several residential and commercial buildings in Portage, Mich.
In a 10 p.m. news release, Portage officials urged residents to continue to shelter in place and stay off the roads to allow access for first responders.
Whitmer declares state of emergency
Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer declared a state of emergency for several counties in Southwest Michigan following the storm. Kalamazoo, St. Joseph, Branch, and Cass counties were included, according to a release from the governor’s office.
“My heart goes out to all those impacted by tonight’s severe weather in southwest Michigan,” said Governor Whitmer. “State and local emergency teams are on the ground and working together to assist Michiganders. I’ve declared a state of emergency to ensure resources are expedited to the area and activated our State Emergency Operations Center. We will continue monitoring the situation and coordinating efforts overnight. I want to thank all the first responders working hard to keep Michiganders safe. We’ll get through this together.”
Second tornado in Portage, tornado confirmed west of Battle Creek
Just an hour after a large tornado decimated Portage, just south of Kalamazoo, the National Weather Service in Grand Rapids reported a second tornado touching down near Portage at approximately 7:20 p.m.
At 7:43 p.m., a separate tornado was confirmed by the National Weather Service just west of Battle Creek, near Galesburg, moving northeast at 40 mph. A severe thunderstorm warning including quarter-sized hail and 60 mph wind gusts remains in effect for parts of Calhoun County until 9 p.m.
FedEx facility collapsed; several buildings damaged after Portage tornadoes
After the first tornado in Portage, multiple buildings were significantly damaged, including a FedEx facility that collapsed.
Jude’s Barbershop in Portage, on Centre Road, also reported damage in its plaza building, posting: “Our barbershop in Portage on Centre Rd was hit by the Tornado. Luckily, everyone is safe.”
Drone footage taken over Portage shows the extent of the damage left behind by the tornadoes.
WBND-TV (South Bend, Indiana) reported that Portage Mayor Particia Randall stated, “Two tornadoes touched down in Portage this evening with extensive damage to both residential and commercial properties. … No injuries or fatalities to report at this time.”
Over 27,000 Consumers Energy customers have been affected by the storm as of 9 p.m., and an additional 3,100 Midwest Energy & Communications customers are without power as of 9:30 p.m.
Severe thunderstorm warnings with winds of up to 70 mph remain in effect for Jackson and Battle Creek until 8:15 p.m. and 9 p.m., respectively, as well as surrounding areas.
St. Joseph County confirms damage
Undersheriff Jason Bingaman of St. Joseph County confirms multiple places in the southwest Michigan county have sustained damage Tuesday evening.
“At the moment, we are focused on life safety missions using all available resources, then we will begin preliminary damage assessments,” Bingaman said.
What about southeast Michigan?
A severe thunderstorm warning is in effect for Livingston County and north Washtenaw County until 8:45 p.m. for 60 mph wind gusts and quarter-sized hail up to an inch, according to the National Weather Service Detroit/Pontiac office.
Currently, in southeast Michigan, there is a tornado watch for Jackson, Lenawee, Monroe and Washtenaw counties until 11 p.m., but the National Weather Service says that the chances of tornadoes in these areas are still unlikely.
This is a developing story.
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