Powerful Storms Cause Massive Damage in Southwest Michigan

Nearly 200,000 people are without power, and many are waking up to surprising damage all over Southwest Michigan.

Just one week after the first anniversary of the devastating Portage tornadoes, the Kalamazoo area got hit with dangerous straight-line winds with gusts up to 80 MPH.  Several Southwest Michigan counties were hit with tornado warnings in the middle of the night.  Jeff Porter from WWMT News Channel 3 tells me that he wouldn't be surprised if there were 3-5 tornadoes in the area overnight.  However, we may not have confirmation until later today or tomorrow.

Before we look at photos of storm damage, we should focus on the tens of thousands of Southwest Michigan residents who are currently without power. Crews are working hard to restore power to the 186,634 people who are currently without AC on a day that will get up to 85 degrees.  Some people will get power back by Noon, while others may be without power until tomorrow afternoon.

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Southwest Michigan Storm Damage Photos (May 16, 2025)

Like many people in Kalamazoo, I had to find a different way to work this morning.

The photo above shows where a shelter once stood above the benches at the West Lake Drive-In.  Below, you'll see a photo of that shelter now lying next to a house across the street.

Power lines and trees down in Battle Creek/Urbandale

An airborne trampoline took out multiple fences, as seen in the photo above and below.

Some of this storm damage reminds me of the photos from last year's storm.  You can see those below.