(WWJ) Anyone in area marked on the map below is urged to seek shelter immediately.
Severe Thunderstorm Warning including Reed City MI, Evart MI, Hersey MI until 2:45 PM EDT. This destructive storm will contain baseball sized hail! pic.twitter.com/E53Bght6Q2
— NWS Grand Rapids (@NWSGrandRapids) September 7, 2021
The National Weather Service is warning that "baseball sized hail" will fall from the sky in a limited area of western Michigan, north of Big Rapids, Tuesday afternoon.
The affected area — which includes Reed City, Evart, Hersey, Sears, Avondale and Ashton — is under a Severe Thunderstorm Warning until 2:45 p.m.
The area includes 12 schools, and is home to more than 15,000 people.
NWS warned that this is a "life-threatening situation" that should be taken seriously, saying: "For your protection move to an interior room on the lowest floor of a building. This is a dangerous storm. Prepare immediately for large destructive hail capable of producing significant damage. People outside should move to shelter inside a strong building, and stay away from windows."
Other hazards may include damaging wind gusts up to 60 mph as the storm moves east at 70 miles per hour.
AccuWeather said this system was expected to strike Southeast Michigan by later in the afternoon, into the evening. Along with heavy downpours, flooding and high winds, forecasters said an isolated tornado was also possible in metro Detroit on Tuesday.
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