May 8, 2024
Jessica Mathews / [email protected]
Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel is reminding residents to be wary of common post-disaster scams as several West Michigan municipalities deal with cleanup and damage from severe weather.
Last night, Governor Gretchen Whitmer declared a state of emergency for Kalamazoo, St. Joseph, Branch and Cass counties due to damage caused by severe thunderstorms and tornadoes on Tuesday.
As residents begin to tackle issues related to downed trees, power outages and other storm damage, Nessel reminds people to do their research to avoid common scams that often arise after a disaster .
Three tornadoes were confirmed in Michigan as severe storms tore through the central United States, killing a man in Tennessee when a tree fell on the vehicle he was in.
Nathan Jeruzal, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service, said Michigan’s tornadoes touched down one each in Kalamazoo, Cass and Branch counties, all in the southwest of the state.
The Portage area of Kalamazoo County was hit hard: a FedEx facility was destroyed and more than a dozen mobile homes were destroyed. Tornadoes were first reported after dark Tuesday in parts of Michigan, Indiana and Ohio.
Meanwhile, Michigan’s first-ever tornado emergency was triggered Tuesday, one of several alerts issued across the country in recent weeks as severe weather ravages the Plains and Midwest states. As massive storms track east, homes and property have been destroyed and thousands of people have been left without power.
Tornado emergencies differ from tornado watches and warnings. According to the National Weather Service, emergencies are much rarer and are triggered when there is an imminent or continuing serious threat to human life and catastrophic damage. Watches suggest tornadoes are possible and area residents should be prepared. Warnings mean that weather radar indicates that a tornado is coming, or one has already been seen, and that people in the area should take action.
AP Photos.
