NWS confirms tornadoes in Portage, Union City, Dowagiac
PORTAGE, Mich. (WOOD) — The National Weather Service has confirmed an EF2 tornado Tuesday in the Portage area and EF1 tornadoes near Dowagiac and Union City.
The tornado that tore through the Portage area on Tuesday was an EF2, according to the National Weather Service in Grand Rapids.
The rating came in Wednesday afternoon, the day after strong storms moved across the region and prompted nearly a dozen tornado warnings. The Portage tornado produced peak wind speeds of 135 mph, making it an upper-end EF2.
‘Thought we were gonna die’: Tornado destroys homes, businesses in Portage area
The tornado touched down around 5:55 p.m. near South 10th Street and West R Avenue south of Texas Corners. The tornado was on the ground for 22 minutes and 11 miles before lifting near East N Ave and 31st Street south of Morrow Lake.
It damaged a number of buildings in the Portage area, including ripping apart a strip mall in Portage and overturning homes at a mobile home park in nearby Pavilion Township.
A second tornado warning was issued for Portage Tuesday night shortly after the first tornado had moved through. Though the NWS says there were several eyewitness accounts, a second tornado touchdown has not been confirmed.
The Kalamazoo County Sheriff’s Office said 16 to 20 people were injured in Tuesday’s storms; none of those injuries were considered life-threatening.
Portage Mayor Patricia Randall told reporters that more than 100 families were displaced. People are urged to call 211 for shelter and other resources.
DOWAGIAC
The National Weather Service in Northern Indiana confirmed an EF1 tornado in the Dowagiac area.
The tornado packed wind speeds of 95 mph with a path length of just over 11 miles. The tornado touched down at 5:11 p.m. and remained on the ground for 27 minutes. The max width was 950 yards, over a half-mile at its peak. No injuries or deaths have been reported with this storm.
UNION CITY
In Branch County, the National Weather Service in Northern Indiana confirmed another EF1 tornado near Union City. This is not to be confused with the likely tornado that caused extensive damage in Sherwood, prompting a tornado emergency — a storm survey is still ongoing for this tornado.
‘Can’t believe I made it’: Sherwood area hit by likely tornado
The estimated winds speeds of the EF1 tornado reached 95 mph with a path length of 1.09 miles. The max width was 100 yards. No injuries or deaths have been reported with this storm.
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