PAVILION TOWNSHIP — Around a dozen residents of Pavilion Estates Mobile Home Community in Pavilion Township on the outskirts of Portage were injured when a tornado ripped through their community Tuesday.
According to multiple neighbors of the hardest hit homes, at least one woman was trapped inside her decimated home and later rescued and taken to the hospital.
Neighbors said her husband, who was outside when the tornado touched down Tuesday evening, was also injured and transported by paramedics to a nearby hospital with minor injuries. The identities of the two were not immediately available.
Officials were still assessing damages late into Tuesday evening, but reported no fatalities.
Nick Armold, director of public safety for the city of Portage, said emergency personnel would work through Tuesday night to get a full accounting of residents and ensure no one is still trapped inside a home.
More: Tornadoes reported in west Michigan; multiple buildings in Portage damaged: Live updates
Jackie Knerr, a 30-year resident of the mobile home community, had just sat down at her dinner table to eat supper when the tornado hit.
“It sounded like a lot of debris hitting the house and I thought all the windows on the north side of my house would be damaged,” Knerr said. “Fortunately, I only have minor damage.”
Her neighbor, Larry Allgaier, was down the road at a nearby senior center playing pickleball when the tornado hit. He sheltered in place there.
Allgaier’s return home proved difficult as he navigated downed power lines, large trees blocking a main entrance to the community and ruptured natural gas lines.
“I was hoping for the best, but I had heard that the new FedEx building was hit badly and I knew that was only a mile from the trailer park,” Allgaier said.
Six doors down, Allgaier’s neighbor’s home was thrown 30 feet from its foundation and debris impaled a parked car.
As firefighters worked with utility workers to seal off the natural gas lines, community members began the long process of cleanup.
Terry Zeiler, who lives six miles away, brought in heavy equipment from home and began working to clear roadways around the trailer park. Nobody had to ask him.
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“It’s just the right thing to do,” Zeiler said. “Growing up, we had a sense of community here. Everyone looked out for their neighbors and their community. I’m just doing my part.”
While many residents left the mobile home community to stay overnight with friends and family, others sought out one of two emergency shelters opened by the city of Portage.
Armold, the public safety director, said the city is opening a hotline Wednesday morning for residents affected to ask questions about storm cleanup, utility concerns, etc. The number for the hotline was not available as of Tuesday evening.
“We’re pretty fortunate that, as of right now, we have no reported serious injuries or fatalities,” Armold said late Tuesday evening.
Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer declared a state of emergency for several counties in Southwest Michigan following the storm. Kalamazoo, St. Joseph, Branch, and Cass counties were included, according to a release from the governor’s office.
— Contact Reporter Corey Murray at cmurray@hillsdale.net or follow him on X, formerly Twitter: @cmurrayHDN.
This article originally appeared on Hillsdale Daily News: Portage, Michigan tornado destroyed mobile homes, injured about 12
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