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Residents begin cleanup efforts and damage assessments.
By LAUREEN FAGAN SBT24/7 News
National Weather Service teams completing their survey of storm damage Sunday afternoon said tornadoes were confirmed in Berrien County, Cass and St. Joseph counties after storms struck the area late Saturday night and early Sunday.
Meanwhile, residents and business owners across the region were awaiting more details as the cleanup continued Sunday.
Get specifics on the tornado path.
There were no immediate reports of serious injuries in the Michiana area.
The Baroda-Stevensville area was among those hardest hit, while widespread reports of damage included a barn destroyed and debris across the road along Michigan 62 between Dowagiac and Cassopolis.
Near Berrien Springs, a resident said a landmark barn on Scottdale Road near Linco Road is gone. The area near Linco saw winds that snapped trees like toothpicks and tossed debris across yards, fields and roads.
Buildings were battered, vehicles overturned, and power lines snapped in high winds that were accompanied by torrential rains and frequent lightning.
Several thousand customers across the Michiana area were without power at the height of the storm, but nearly all had been restored by 4 p.m. Sunday.
About 440 Indiana-Michigan Power customers were still without electrical service in St. Joseph County, Mich.
According to Jim Barnes of the St. Joseph County Sheriff's Department, the storm took down two cell phone towers at about 12:50 a.m.
They were knocked across the Grand Elk Railroad tracks, bringing rail traffic to a halt. And utilitycrews continued to work on the power lines the storm brought down in that area, near Dickinson Road and U.S. 131.
French said damage near White Pigeon was startling.
There were reports of overturned vehicles on U.S. 12 — and uprooted trees marked the landscape near an automotive business in the 67400 block of U.S. 131.
Berrien County officials are asking residents with damage to contact a Trend Center they're establishing.
The Emergency Management Office is asking any resident, home or business owner who sustained damage to call (800) 815-5485. Operators will take calls from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., the department said in a release.
The trend report is not a request for aid, but will facilitate damage assessment. Berrien County also asks residents and businesses to:
- Keep careful records of repairs made due to the recent storm.
- Keep a list of items that have been damaged or destroyed.
- If you have insurance, call your insurance agent to report your claim.
- Dispose of damaged property that presents a health hazard or that may hamper clean-up operations.
Be sure to document fully all discarded items if a damage inspector contacts you.
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Posted On
6/7/2010 4:14:56 PM
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