KENTWOOD, Mich. (AP) — A severe thunderstorm packing winds
estimated at more than 80 mph spawned a tornado, injured at least six
people and caused significant damage to homes in western Michigan,
officials said Monday, and storms with tornadoes damaged some homes in
Iowa.
A fast-moving thunderstorm intensified in Michigan late
Sunday over Kentwood, just south of Grand Rapids, the National Weather
Service said.
Touching down in Byron Center, the twister traveled
just over 6 miles and was 300 to 400 yards wide, according to the
weather service website.
The tornado’s winds reached the 100-110
mile per hour range, weather service forecaster Brian Meade told The
Associated Press on Monday. He said the impact was serious but limited
in area.
"It’s not extensive damage, but there was some heavy damage within it," Meade said.
The
tornado knocked down trees and power lines, ripped the roofs of a
number of houses and sent two people to hospitals for treatment after
their homes collapsed, Kentwood Mayor Stephen Kepley said in a
statement. Many roads remained impassible Monday afternoon because of
fallen trees.
The American Red Cross opened a shelter about 1 a.m.
Monday at a Kentwood recreation center, and about 60 people stayed
overnight, said Kent County emergency management coordinator Jack
Stewart. He said about 20 people were still there Monday afternoon.
In all, six people were hurt, with none of the injuries appearing life-threatening, Stewart said.
In
Iowa, several tornadoes were reported and at least two homes were
damaged after storms passed through central Iowa. The same possible
tornado tracked through both Grundy and Tama counties, the weather
service said, with a separate storm hitting Jasper County.
In
North Dakota, weekend storms caused heavy damage at a Missouri River
recreation area south of Bismarck and injured people at a lake southwest
of the city. Several tents and vehicles were destroyed by strong winds
and falling trees at Kimball Bottoms on Saturday night.
In
Michigan, Jan Collins told The Grand Rapids Press that she heard the
wind blow and then, an enormous boom as a tree toppled onto her family’s
garage.
"There was this rumbling sound, and it was raining
especially hard, before the wind came out of nowhere," Collins said. "I
think the car will be OK — the tree kind of just rested on top."
Flood
warnings were in effect until Tuesday morning in Michigan’s Gratiot,
Ionia and Montcalm counties, where some roads were washed out, the
weather service said.
CMS Energy Corp.’s Consumers Energy unit
said Monday morning that roughly 20,000 of its customers lost power.
About 9,600 of those homes and businesses are in Kent County, including
Kentwood.