Communities shift into cleanup mode after tornadoes ripped through western Michigan

A day after tornadoes touched down in west Michigan, knocking out electrical lines and trees, residents and authorities struggled to deal with the aftermath of significant damage to homes and businesses, but were grateful there were no fatalities.

Branches, some large, were strewn across homes, yards and businesses in Portage, about two hours west of Detroit, where two tornadoes touched down, displacing more than 100 people. One twister, labeled an EF2 by the weather service, was on the ground between 5:55 p.m. and 6:17 p.m. The tornado fueled peak winds of up to 135 mph with a path of 300 yards and length of nearly 11 miles, the weather service said.

An EF2 tornado has speeds between 111-135 mph, the weather service said.

Portage Mayor Patricia Randall on Wednesday said city leaders and first responders were working to "turn chaos into calmness." Going door-to-door, Randall said damage was so extensive to some homes "that people can no longer live there."

"We are blessed that there were absolutely no fatalities," said Randall at a news conference Wednesday afternoon. “We have two churches providing shelter that are not at capacity and we are willing to open the senior center as well. Tomorrow, we’re praying to return to power."

More: Three tornadoes rip through lower Michigan, cause damage

Kalamazoo County Sheriff Richard Fuller said there were easily thousands of trees down, and traffic congestion from debris in roads and out-of-service traffic lights. Fuller said they were still vetting photos of the tornadoes and couldn't estimate the size of each one, but said there were two storm events an hour apart.

More than 170 homes were damaged in Portage, many in a mobile home community. Cleanup crews Wednesday were on the ground with help from Michigan State Police, the Kalamazoo County Sheriff's Office and other departments.

"We were very lucky last night," Fuller said. "Almost 44 years ago this week, there was a tragic tornado that took five lives. Last nights events, which I believe were even bigger ... but people were prepared and lives were saved."

Two tornadoes were reported in Dowagiac in Cass County on Tuesday evening, according to the National Weather Service. The weather service said one tornado was reported in Centreville, Colon, Leonidas, Mendon and Wasepi in St. Joseph County. Another was reported in Sherwood in Branch County, and there was one in Comstock in Kalamazoo County.

The American Red Cross and the Salvation Army were assisting those in need of a place to stay. As of Wednesday afternoon, there were 20 people at two shelters, officials said. Consumers Energy, meanwhile, was on the scene and was working to shut off broken gas lines and erect new cell towers to help families and first responders connect with one another, Fuller said.

"The storm and multiple tornados really caused a lot of havoc for us. We're having challenges getting down the roads and we are mobilizing and we appreciate patience as we work to restore power," said Chris Laird, vice president of electric operations for Consumers Energy. "There are 160 electrical line crews working 24/7 and 70 gas crews out right now."

Other areas damaged in Metro Detroit

West Michigan wasn't the only area that saw severe damage Tuesday.

There were no tornadoes reported in Macomb County, but in Harrison Township, severe winds damaged some area marinas, including Lambrecht Marina. Beams were strewn across boats and docks. More than 10 boats were damaged, or about 5% of the marina's boats.

"The most important thing is that nobody got hurt," said Jim Lambrecht, the marina's owner.

Lambrecht believed a small tornado swept through Macomb County.

Governor declares emergency

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer declared a state of emergency for Kalamazoo, St. Joseph, Branch and Cass counties.

The damage in Portage was widespread, leaving several businesses inoperable.

“I couldn’t believe it,” said Marilyn Williams, 69, of Portage. “It’s unreal to wake up to it, even after seeing it last night.”

At Jude's Barbershop on West Centre Avenue, the shop is a "total loss," said office manager Amanda Renis.

"Half the building is ripped off, the ceiling is partially gone and there's a gas leak," Renis told The News on Wednesday morning. "Jude’s has been open for more than 20 years, but this location on Centre in the strip mall is newer, only 4 years old. Our other location right down the road is fully operable, thankfully."

The first tornado was reported at 5:15 p.m. Tuesday in Dowagiac and the last at 7:22 in Comstock, NWS said.

"A second storm event that came through while first responders retreated after the first tornado," said Fuller, who said he had never seen anything like it in his 35 years of service. "We went into the closest home we could. Two different storm events started out at the edge of Portage going across into Pavilion Township. The two events were within an hour of each other and 700 feet apart. We were alerted, took cover and were in shock to see another storm in a close window. We'd normally see it within 15 minutes but it was nearly an hour later."

The tornadoes caused substantial damage in several areas in Portage, including Centre Street up to Shearing andWestnedge up to Angling Road, according to the Sheriff's Office. Fuller said Wednesday a FedEx building on Portage Road and the Pavilion Estates mobile home park both sustained extensive damage.

One tornado touched down near South 10th Street and West R Avenue and traveled east/northeast for about 11 miles, the weather service said. It lifted north of East N Avenue, just west of 31st Street, it said.

Nicholas Armold, Portage's director of public safety, estimated 30-40% of the city's structure was a total loss, but couldn't put a dollar estimate on it.

But despite some media reports of employees being trapped at the FedEx facility, Armold said no one had to be extracted. Officials were still trying to deduce where those claims initiated.

"Not sure where it came from that people were trapped. Everyone was safe and out of the building when we arrived," he said. "There were no extradition efforts by us."

The county confirmed Wednesday that 176 homes at Pavilion Estates were damaged and 40% of those were heavily damaged.

And while there weren't fatalities, up to 20 people reportedly were hospitalized for injuries from blown glass and debris.

Residents start to clean up

Upheaval from the storm changed Pedro Martinez’s plans for Wednesday, forcing him to spend the morning clearing his own driveway, the 67-year-old resident on Ramona Avenue said.

The violent storm downed several trees and some electrical wires on his street. Martinez and his family thought the alerts on their phones were just false alarms until the storm was practically on their doorstep, he said.

Martinez’ grandson, 9-year-old Daniel Martinez, said he was scared of these storm at first but still eager to help his family clean up the next day.

“I was running to my basement,” Daniel Martinez said, adding the fear had shifted to excitement as he recounted the experience to friends the next day. “I sent them a picture of the destruction.”

The Kalamazoo Foundation will set up a fund for those who would like to contribute to the community’s rebuild.

Residents start cleanup efforts

Harsh winds uprooted trees in Marilyn Williams’ front and back yards on Lansing Avenue in Portage, tearing away chunks of driveway in one fell swoop, she said. No one on the block was injured, Williams said.

As a retired electrician, Williams said she and her husband were just glad to have supportive friends willing to step in and help after the storm passed.

As neighbors rushed to clear damage, crews tended to thousands without power Wednesday to get them back online.

On Wednesday, the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy urged residents to follow cleanup guidelines set by the state. And the Better Business Bureau In Western Michigan also warned homeowners "to beware of scammers, sometimes called 'storm chasers,' when looking to hire help to clean up."

cramirez@detroitnews.com