A tornado impacted northern Michigan this Friday afternoon and left at least two people dead and more than 40 injured who were taken to hospitals by ambulance, and caused damage to homes and businesses in the city of Gaylord, authorities reported.
NBC News affiliate WPBN of Traverse City, Michigan aired footage of mobile homes destroyed and even upside down at a trailer park in Gaylord. It also showed destroyed buildings near the theaters known as Gaylord Cinema West, as well as overturned cars and destroyed trees.
Power outages in the area forced Gaylord’s Otsego Memorial Hospital to divert new patients to other health centersthe station reported.
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More than 22,000 customers in northern Michigan were without power this Friday, according to PowerOutage.USincluding more than a third of the users on Gaylord.
Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer said Friday that she would commit to providing the necessary resources to repair the damaged areas.
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“My heart goes out to all those families and small businesses impacted by the tornado and severe weather in Gaylord,” tweeted. “To the entire Gaylord community: Michigan is with you”.
Eddie Thrasher, 55, said he was sitting in his car outside a store when the tornado closed in on him.
“Business roofs were blown off and I saw trucks that ended up overturned and destroyed. There were several emergency vehicles headed for destruction.”
Thrasher hid in the store as he passed. “My adrenaline was like crazy. In less than five minutes it was over.”
Betty Wisniewski, 87, also was not injured despite the tornado significantly damaging her home, said her son Steve Wisniewski, who lives next door.
“Fortunately she was fine, with a rosary in her hand because she was praying. It was very impressive,” the man said.
Gaylord Police Chief Frank Claeys said the immediate moments after the tornado hit were difficult for first responders.
“We were doing searches in places where we knew the occupants. We were calling them by their names. It’s much more personal when our officers know the people who live in those homes,” Claeys said.
With information from AP y NBC News