** UPDATE 4/16: 8 tornadoes confirmed in Michigan, 2 in Metro Detroit **
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(WWJ) The National Weather Service is now confirming at least five tornadoes touched down in Michigan early Wednesday morning, and we're still awaiting details on at least two potential other declarations.
NWS Detroit survey teams confirmed two tornadoes in Saginaw County: an EF-1 in Albee Twp. and an EF-0 in Bridgeport, where barns and trees were damaged. One home had some siding torn off, an attached garage had its wall blown out, and several homes had roof damage, survey teams said. A few empty silos were destroyed.
In West Michigan, two tornadoes were confirmed in southeast Allegan County. Officials determined that an EF-1 tornado started in Otsego and moved into Plainwell around midnight Tuesday, north of Kalamazoo. The second in that area, officials said, was a weak EF-0.
Another EF-1 tornado was confirmed in the Carson City and Fenwick area, in Montcalm County, northwest of Lansing. Officials said that tornado was on the ground for 19 miles. A dairy farm was hit hard, officials said, buildings were damaged, and a couple of hundred cows got loose.
Other potential tornadoes were being investigated in the WWJ Newsradio 950 listening area, including Downriver and in Ann Arbor.
In Melvindale, WWJ's Charlie Langton found downed powerlines, a broken power pole blocking a parking lot, big trees down, and lots of flooding.
"And a Subway store, well, it's completely gone," Langton reported. "Allen Road, Outer Drive, Dix — those are the main areas hit in Melvindale."
A tornado was not immediately confirmed in the Downriver area, but National Weather Service teams are investigating there, and in other locations on Wednesday.
The NWS said four general areas in WWJ's listening area were being looked for possible tornadoes:
- Ann Arbor into the Downriver area,
- Shiawassee County, east of Lansing,
- Lenawee County into Monroe County,
- and Saginaw
Students in dorms at Saginaw Valley State University were told to go to the first floor of their buildings early in the morning.
Rich Pollman, with the NWS White Lake office, was among those on the ground reviewing the storm's aftermath in Saginaw. Speaking live on WWJ, he explained the patterns his team looks for when determining whether a tornado touched down.
"Wind damage tend to diverge, it looks like a fan spreading out, when you look at it from above," Pollman explained. "When a tornado sort of looks like a herringbone pattern to it, where the trees fell in towards the path of a tornado."
Crews work to repair damaged power lines in Lincoln Park outside of The Lincoln Manor Banquet Hall, which also sustained damage.
Jon Hewett/WWJ
In Ann Arbor, where tornado sirens sounded overnight, WWJ's Luke Sloan reported University of Michigan students woke up to major damage on their campus.
Trees were down over the road, some having fallen into homes, and there are a lot of downed powerlines.
"And the big story as well: Yost Ice Arena, the iconic home of the Michigan Wolverines hockey program, part of the roof torn off and twister around trees like tinfoil."
"And it's really drawn the interest of University of Michigan students that have been curious this morning; waking up, going outside and looking around in their pajamas," Sloan said.
No injuries have been reported, although there's quite of bit of damage to what locals said are mainly rental properties.
Meanwhile, there were reports of a couple more tornadoes in West Michigan.
In Mecosta County, a touchdown was reported near Sheridan Township. That was being looked into, while a survey was also expected to be conducted near the Gerald R. Ford Airport near Grand Rapids.
Looking ahead, NWS said there was a lot more rain and some more thunderstorms on the way. Most of the state is under some sort of flood advisory, through Thursday.
RELATED: Flood Watch for all of Southeast Michigan through Thursday night, more storms on the way
