People in Portage, Michigan, were still reeling after damage from the first tornado-warned storm when a second one came through.
Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer declared a state of emergency late Tuesday after a series of tornadoes pummeled the upper Midwestern state, injuring more than 15 people.
"My heart goes out to all those impacted by tonight's severe weather in southwest Michigan," she said in a statement.
The state of emergency was issued for Kalamazoo, St. Joseph, Branch and Cass counties and will help emergency teams coordinate resources to aid cleanup efforts.
A reported tornado wreaked havoc in a mobile home community in Portage, Michigan, on May 7.
"Significant" tornado damage was incurred by Kalamazoo County, Sheriff Richard Fuller said during an update posted online.
"On the scene, we found 176 damaged homes in the mobile home property. It looks like 15 to 17 have been totally destroyed." Sheriff Fuller added that several injuries have been reported, but none appear to be life-threatening. Shelters have been set up to help those affected by the tornado.
Damage from a likely tornado in Portage, Michigan, just to the south of Kalamazoo, on the afternoon of May 7, 2024. (@Scraft_wxman)
Storm spotters reported that a tornado touched down Tuesday evening around 6 p.m. CDT just south of Kalamazoo, Michigan. The sightings were at the towns of Portage and Comstock. Photos on social media showed massive damage to an industrial building, with emergency response on the scene. Trees and power lines were also reported down in Portage.
People in Portage, Michigan, were still reeling after damage from the first tornado-warned storm when a second one came through.
Damage assessments are underway following the deadly tornado that tore through Barnsdall and Bartlesville, Oklahoma, on Monday night. The National Weather Service (NWS) conducted a damage survey on Tuesday and has given the tornado a preliminary rating of EF4, meaning winds were between 166 and 200 mph.
However, the NWS added that there is still more damage to evaluate, so the final rating could be higher than EF4 if more extensive damage is discovered.
The Enhanced Fujita Scale was introduced in 2007 to replace the original Fujita scale, developed and named after Tetsuya “Ted” Fujita. Fujita was also known as “Mr. Tornado” due to his work and research with tornadoes. Click here to learn more about the groundbreaking scientist.
The focal point of severe weather is shifting from the Plains to the Midwest, with approximately 80 million people at risk of storms through Tuesday night. Storms could break out from Wisconsin to western Pennsylvania and southward to Tennessee, including Chicago, Indianapolis, Cleveland and St. Louis. “There are going to be tornadoes in parts of Illinois, Ohio and Kentucky Tuesday afternoon and evening,” AccuWeather Chief On-Air Meteorologist Bernie Rayno warned.
Yet another round of dangerous storms is in the forecast for Wednesday, with storms in the Midwest and Tennessee Valley likely to be more intense than those expected for Tuesday.
May severe spotter reports so far.
It's been a busy year for severe weather and the month of May has been no exception. So far this month, 500 wind and hail reports have been issued by storm spotters across the nation. In addition, 59 preliminary tornadoes were reported, mostly in the central U.S. Texas has taken the lead from Iowa for tornado reports in the year so far, with 62 preliminary reports.
Tornado reports by state in 2024, up to May 6.
Tornado damage in Barnsdall, Oklahoma on May 7, 2024. (Brandon Clement/WxChasing)
Tuesday’s sunrise revealed the devastation caused by a deadly tornado that ripped through Barnsdall, Oklahoma, on Monday night under the cover of darkness. Drone footage revealed houses that were shredded apart, vehicles that were tossed, and trees that were transformed into tall, leafless stumps. It was also the second tornado to strike the town this year. On April 1, a tornado tore through the town and destroyed several houses, but fortunately spared the lives of residents.
Favorable weather is forecast for northern Oklahoma throughout the rest of the week, with the exception of a morning thunderstorm on Wednesday. The largely dry and mild conditions will help with cleanup efforts in the wake of Monday’s tornado outbreak before showers and thunderstorms return early next week.
A destructive tornado in Barnsdall, Oklahoma, caused significant damage to homes and businesses on May 7. Survivors reported hearing the “windows blow” as the tornado passed over their homes.
At least one person was killed when a tornado and severe weather swept through the small town of Barnsdall, about 40 miles north of Tulsa, the Osage County Sheriff’s Office said early Tuesday morning. Search and rescue crews spent the night looking for survivors trapped in damaged homes in the small town.
A destructive tornado in Barnsdall, Oklahoma, caused significant damage to homes and businesses on May 7. (Image credit: Brandon Clement)
According to the National Weather Service Tulsa, a large and destructive tornado was located over Barnsdall and moved through the area around 9:30 p.m.
“There’s a lot of damage between Bartlesville and Barnsdall along the path of the tornado, a lot of houses damaged, some completely torn up. We’ve got one confirmed fatality and multiple injuries,” Osage County Sheriff Eddie Virden told local affiliate KOKI.
(Image credit: Brandon Clement)
The Oklahoma Highway Patrol also reported downed power lines and gas leaks in the Barnsdall area. As of early Tuesday morning, poweroutage.us reported 16,000 customers in Oklahoma are without power, down from nearly 30,000 overnight.
In the last hour, tornadoes have been reported in Bison, Oklahoma; Covington, Oklahoma; and Ogden, KS. Tornado watches remain in effect from Texas to Nebraska until 11 p.m. CDT, while a new Tornado Watch for parts of Iowa extends until 3 a.m. CDT.
From Melissa Constanzer on the AccuWeather Network (watch live) at 7:45 p.m. CDT:
"We have a new tornado warning that includes Pottawattamie County, Kansas, as well as Riley County, Kansas. This is an area near where severe weather unfolded during the last severe weather outbreak in Westmoreland, Kansas. If you recall, unfortunately, Westmoreland got an EF3 tornado last week. Now, they're not far away from this upcoming tornado warning, which is currently over Manhattan, Kansas, at this point in time."
AccuWeather meteorologists say that, despite only a handful of tornado reports through 6:30 p.m. CDT, the tornado risk will increase through midnight. The greatest risk for tornadoes in the Oklahoma City area will be from 9 p.m. to 11 p.m. CDT.
A wall cloud spotted near Cherokee, Oklahoma, on May 6, 2024. (AccuWeather/ Tony Laubach)
Three severe thunderstorms have lined up across northwestern Oklahoma, and AccuWeather Meteorologist and Storm Chaser Tony Launch recently spotted a wall cloud near the town of Cherokee. A wall cloud hangs down below the base of a thunderstorm and is indicative that a tornado may soon develop. The storm to the south of Laubach is also potent, capable of spinning up a tornado, and has already produced a wind gust of 82 mph. All three storms are currently tracking eastward toward Interstate 35 between Wichita, Kansas, and Oklahoma City.
A severe thunderstorm in south-central Kansas on Monday afternoon. (AccuWeather/ Tony Laubach)
Severe thunderstorms are breaking out across western Kansas and western Oklahoma as the tornado outbreak gets underway. AccuWeather Meteorologist and Storm Chaser Tony Laubach is following a thunderstorm near Coldwater, Kansas, located in the south-central part of the state, that has already produced hail as large as golf balls. A tornado warning was issued at 3:45 p.m. CDT for a thunderstorm north of Laubach, the first tornado warning for the day in the state, but a twister has yet to be confirmed.
A severe thunderstorm watch and two tornado watches have been issued across the Plains, stretching from part of North Dakota to northern Texas, as severe thunderstorms begin to erupt. The tornado watch for southern Kansas, central Oklahoma and northern Texas has been deemed a “particularly dangerous situation” due to the heightened risk of intense, long-tracked tornadoes and hail as large as grapefruits. “If you live in Wichita or Oklahoma City,” AccuWeather Chief Meteorologist Jon Porter said, “know where you’re going to be in a safe spot to ride out the storm if a tornado or severe thunderstorm threatens your community.”
A tornado watch means the ingredients are coming together for twister-producing thunderstorms to develop, while a tornado warning means that a tornado is imminent or is already happening.
A dangerous severe weather event is imminent in the central United States with a significant risk to lives and property. “If you were to look at a meteorology textbook about how do we get a tornado outbreak in the southern Plains, it’s this setup today,” AccuWeather Chief Meteorologist Jonathan Porter explained. Watch Porter’s live interview with Bernie Rayno below:
AccuWeather’s Jon Porter shows the warm, moist air around the central Plains, perfect factors for upcoming storms and possible tornadoes.
With an ‘extreme’ risk of severe weather and tornadoes in parts of Kansas and Oklahoma on Monday afternoon, schools across the area are altering their schedules. Some school districts in south-central Kansas have announced early dismissals on Monday so that students are home before the thunderstorms commence, according to KWCH, a news station based in Wichita, Kansas. Meanwhile, other schools, including one in Haysville, Kansas, alerted parents that dismissal could be delayed and students may shelter inside the school if severe weather threatens around the same time as dismissal on Monday afternoon.
Superintendents face difficult decisions regarding whether to let out classes early or keep students at a school longer amid a severe weather outbreak. “It all boils down to one question: Where are people the safest?” AccuWeather Meteorologist Jake Sojda said. AccuWeather Chief Meteorologist Jonathan Porter added that there is no “one size fits all” solution and that the decision varies from district to district and from one type of extreme weather event to another.
At 5 a.m. CDT Monday, AccuWeather upgraded parts of Oklahoma and Kansas to an Extreme Risk, the highest severe weather risk level. The last Extreme Risk was issued by AccuWeather on April 4, 2023. “We are probably looking at dozens of tornadoes being produced during the severe weather outbreak from Monday to Tuesday,” AccuWeather Chief On-Air Meteorologist Bernie Rayno said.
NOAA's Storm Prediction Center (SPC) upgraded a similar area to a "High Risk," its highest risk level at 8 a.m. CDT. The last time the SPC issued a High Risk was March 31, 2023. Oklahoma was last in an SPC High Risk in 2019, while Kansas hasn't seen one since 2017.
With severe weather in the forecast, it is important to understand and prepare for the risks that are inbound. These are five tips that can help you and your family prepare in advance:
•Shelter safety: What to look for: It is important to make sure the storm shelter is safe and provides an escape if the door is blocked by potential debris.
•Access to shelter and supplies: Having a storm shelter that cannot be accessed effectively defeats the purpose of having one at all. Shelters should be as easily accessible as possible.
•Security and restoration planning: If doors and windows are shattered and missing, securing the property quickly is essential. Making sure the property is structurally sound and having a repair company in mind should be planned before the severe weather.
•Insurance and financial protection: Consumers should look at the types of disasters their area may be prone to, to determine if they have the proper coverage in place.
•Protecting irreplaceable property with sentimental value: Some items may never be able to be replaced after a disaster. For these items, it is a good idea to take preventative measures to protect personal possessions that hold sentimental value.
