Severe storms have battered parts of the Midwest, unleashing a curtain of heavy rain, gusty winds and tornadoes in the region
Severe storms barreled through the Midwest, unleashing a curtain of heavy rain, gusty winds and tornadoes throughout the region that forecasters warned could stretch into Wednesday morning.
Tornadoes were spotted after dark Tuesday in parts of Michigan, Indiana and Ohio. Portions of Illinois, Kentucky and Missouri were also under a tornado watch, according to the National Weather Service.
In southwestern Michigan, two tornadoes blitzed the city of Portage near Kalamazoo, destroying homes and commercial buildings, including a FedEx facility that was ripped apart.
There were no serious injuries immediately reported, but city officials said in a news release that the twisters knocked out power to more than 20,000 people. Most of them would be without power until late Wednesday, city officials said.
At one point, about 50 people were trapped inside the FedEx facility because of downed power lines. But company spokesperson Shannon Davis said late Tuesday that “all team members are safe and accounted for.”
Tuesday’s storms came a day after parts of the central United States were battered by heavy rain, strong winds, hail and twisters. Both the Plains and Midwest have been hammered by tornadoes this spring.
