The Latest On Weather: Winds Damage Michigan Buildings
4:30 p.m. EDT
Severe thunderstorms are pushing across Michigan’s Lower Peninsula, causing damage to buildings in one western community and spurring authorities in Detroit to start their annual fireworks show one hour early.
Ionia County Sheriff Dale Miller tells television station WZZM that strong winds hit Portland on Monday afternoon. He says emergency crews have been dispatched, and it wasn’t immediately clear if anyone was hurt.
Brittny Clark tells WOOD-TV that she was working at the Red Tomato restaurant in Portland when the winds hit, knocking down trees and heavily damaging several buildings.
The National Weather Service says severe thunderstorm watches remain in effect into the evening.
The annual fireworks display over the Detroit River was scheduled for 10:06 p.m., but organizers moved it to 9:06 p.m. due to the threat of thunderstorms.
3 p.m. CDT
Airlines have canceled more than 500 flights at Chicago’s two international airports amid forecasts of thunderstorms that could bring damaging winds and hail to the region.
The Chicago Sun-Times reports ( ) the city’s Department of Aviation says airlines at O’Hare canceled 450 flights Monday. More than 60 flights have been canceled at Midway.
The National Weather Service says severe storms were expected to develop across southern Wisconsin and Iowa late Monday afternoon and spread into northern Illinois. Forecasters say the thunderstorms could be “explosive” and pose a risk of large, damaging hail and strong winds.
2:50 p.m. CDT
A thunderstorm carrying high winds knocked down trees in southern Wisconsin, and also knocked out power to some areas.
Numerous trees were downed in Lancaster. There were also reports of damage to sheds and outbuildings in other parts of Grant County. Grant County Emergency Management director Steve Braun tells WMTV that several homes were also damaged and the power was out in some areas.
Trees and power lines were also down in Jefferson County.
As of 2 p.m. Monday, about 32,000 Wisconsin residents were without power — 22,000 in the Milwaukee area and 10,000 in southwestern Wisconsin.
In Vilas County, a woman was hurt when a tree branch struck her head. She was taken to a hospital.
Much of southeastern Wisconsin was under a severe thunderstorm watch through Monday afternoon.
12:30 p.m. CDT
Violent thunderstorms early Monday caused damage throughout eastern South Dakota, leaving thousands of people without power and zeroing in on the town of Garretson, where damage was particularly extensive.
Winds downed trees and power poles in the town 10 miles northeast of Sioux Falls, blew over four tanks at a fertilizer plant, and led to a gas leak that prompted the evacuation of a mobile home park. Several homes were damaged but no injuries were reported.
The Red Cross was providing help.
The National Weather Service sent a survey team to Garretson to investigate whether straight-line winds or a tornado caused the damage, the Argus Leader newspaper reported.
