Jessica Mathews / news@whmi.com


Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel is reminding residents to watch out for common after-the-disaster scams as several municipalities in West Michigan are dealing with cleanup and damage following severe weather.

Last night, Governor Gretchen Whitmer declared a state of emergency for the counties of Kalamazoo, St. Joseph, Branch, and Cass due to damage caused by severe thunderstorms and tornadoes on Tuesday.

As residents begin to address the issues that arise from downed trees, power losses, and other storm damage, Nessel reminds people to do their research to avoid common scams that often follow after disaster strikes.

Three tornadoes have been confirmed in Michigan as severe storms barreled through the central U.S. - killing one man in Tennessee when a tree toppled onto a vehicle he was in.

National Weather Service Meteorologist Nathan Jeruzal said that the tornadoes in Michigan touched down one each in Kalamazoo, Cass and Branch counties — all in the southwestern part of the state.

Kalamazoo County’s Portage area was hard hit as a FedEx facility was shredded and more than a dozen mobile homes destroyed. Tornadoes were first reported after dark Tuesday in parts of Michigan, Indiana and Ohio.

Meanwhile, the first-ever tornado emergency in Michigan was issued Tuesday, one of many called across the country in recent weeks as severe weather tears through states in the Plains and Midwest. As massive storms barrel East, homes and property have been destroyed and thousands of people have gone without power.

Tornado emergencies differ from tornado watches and warnings. According to the National Weather Service, emergencies are far rarer and are issued when there's an imminent or ongoing severe threat to human life and catastrophic damage. Watches suggest tornadoes are possible and that people in the area should be prepared. Warnings mean a weather radar indicates a tornado is coming, or it’s been seen already, and people in the area need to act.

AP photos.