Pictured above is a mobile home in Pavilion Estates in Pavilion Township that sustained heavy damage from the tornado May 7.
Another mobile home destroyed by the May 7 tornado in Pavilion Estates in Pavilion Township.
(Photos by Bruce Rolfe)
By Bruce Rolfe
In what was a historic and memorable night, Kalamazoo County fire departments, law enforcement agencies, humanitarian organizations, and the private and public sector networked together very impressively following a tornado that ripped through Portage, Pavilion Township, and other parts of Kalamazoo County May 7.
As more and more reports of destruction and the need for help came into the 9-1-1 dispatch center, mutual aid local fire departments provide to each other, became very important.
The need became so great, an all county response was requested when every fire department in Kalamazoo County was asked to assist. There were even fire departments from two other counties assisting.
To illustrate how well all of the emergency agencies worked together, Kalamazoo County Sheriff Richard Fuller held up both hands and intertwined his fingers together following a press conference at the City of Portage Fire Department on Shaver Road May 8 detailing events surrounding the tornado.
Mutual aid efforts were taking place in multiple locations throughout the county.
While the Climax and Galesburg-Charleston Township fire departments did not have any calls directly involved in their respective jurisdictions with the tornado, they provided mutual aid at Pavilion Estates Mobile Home Park in Pavilion Township where many mobile homes were damaged or destroyed.
Pavilion Township Fire Chief Karl Poenicke said his department was called out to assist the Portage Fire Department at another mobile home park, as well as for a vehicle accident with entrapment. The Pavilion Fire Department was later called for a structure fire in Pavilion Estates. That meant mutual aid became extremely important for such a wide spread amount of damage in Pavilion Estates. Besides Climax Township and Galesburg-Charleston Township, Comstock, Cooper, and Richland Fire Departments assisted the Pavilion Township Fire Department at Pavilion Estates, searching each location quickly to determine if there were any injuries and to assist home owners. Poenicke eventually he was only able to send four firefighters to Pavilion Estates.
Climax Township Fire Chief Scott Smith said his department counted 35 mobile homes that were destroyed at Pavilion Estates Mobile Home Park.
Fuller said the National Weather Service said the tornado was an F-2 and the second storm event that blasted through about an hour later, were straight line winds. He said as the second storm cell moved closer to Pavilion Estates, people were moved into fire trucks, police vehicles or the closest home possible until it was safe to be outside again.
An exact number of mobile homes in Pavilion Estates Mobile Home Park that were damaged or destroyed was unavailable, however Fuller said 30 to 40 percent of Pavilion Estates “is total devastation.” He adds the two storm events were within an hour of each other and at one point the second storm cell was 700 feet between the two.
Poenicke said he did not have an exact figure of the number of injuries at Pavilion Estates but guessed it was under 15 and they were all considered minor injuries. He admits he’s surprised no one was seriously hurt or even killed based on the destruction he observed.
“There were trailers upside down, they were wrapped around trees, they were out in the middle of the road. Especially at a time when kids were getting home from school and everybody is usually out. That nobody was seriously hurt, is amazing, through the whole event,” said the Pavilion Township fire chief.
Smith said his department was called out on a medical call near the time the tornado hit. As soon as the local fire department completed the medical call, they headed to Pavilion Estates for mutual aid.
Smith said his department started checking the destroyed and destructed mobile homes to see if anyone was hurt. He said the amount of destruction was eye opening.
“They were pretty fortunate. Every one of them,” said Smith, who said his department assisted one woman with a broken arm, and a male with a couple cuts on his head.
Galesburg-Charleston Township Fire Chief Kevin Roomsberg said his department was on a medical call in its jurisdiction near the time the tornado hit, however he was able to send two trucks and six firefighters to Pavilion Estates.
The local fire chief said with a portion of the FedEx building in Portage collapsing, mobile home parks hit, and help needed at other locations in the county, it quickly became apparent there would be a great need for emergency personnel.
The Comstock Fire Department, the first to report to Pavilion Estates, had personnel there and more firefighters in Portage. Mattawan, out of VanBuren County, assisted in Portage.
Roomsberg said with many of his firefighters already on the medical call and at Pavilion Estates, it was important that other volunteer firefighters from his department came to the station in case they were needed in another jurisdiction that already had firefighters assisting in other areas.
With so many local fire departments moving out of their jurisdictions for mutual aid in other areas, it was important for other fire departments to cover in other areas in case there was a call in that area. Leroy Township Fire Department, out of Calhoun County, filled in for Pavilion in case another call came into that township. South County moved up to the City of Portage and the City of Battle Creek, out of Calhoun County, also offered assistance in Portage.
“Every department in the county was doing something, even if it didn’t affect their area,” said Roomsberg, who said the all county request was the first one he has been a part of since he joined the Galesburg-Charleston Township in 1991.
“They needed everybody. All of the northern fire departments sent trucks to different areas to help out with the destruction in those areas and search. There wasn’t any way one department was going to be able to handle that,” continued the Galesburg-Charleston Township fire chief.
Fuller said displaced residents from the Pavilion Estates Mobile Park were taken to a shelter, as well as other locations in the community that were opened for rest, food and water.
Fuller noted at the press conference it was 44 years ago near the same date (May 13, 1980) a tornado ripped through Kalamazoo, claiming five lives. However the sheriff said even though the May 7 event was larger, he felt many people were prepared by alerts on cell phones, television station warnings, sirens throughout the county or they were alerted by others.
City of Portage Mayor Patricia Randall said there were no fatalities and eight people in the City of Portage were hospitalized with minor injuries. She adds over 100 families were removed from their homes because the damage from the tornado was so extensive, noting two churches in Portage along with the Portage Zhang Senior Center opened their doors to assist with those displaced.
Fuller emphasized there were many partners who stepped up during this challenging time. Besides local law enforcement agencies and county fire departments, Fuller said the State Police, Red Cross and Salvation Army were quick to respond.
He adds Consumer Energy was on the scene immediately, working with emergency teams to determine where gas needed to be shut off.
Fuller said AT&T set up a system that brought up more towers to help more people use their cell phones, making sure they were able to connect with family and to allow emergency services to communicate back and forth.
Fuller adds wrecker crews showed up asking how they could help. The Road Commission of Kalamazoo County responded with front end loaders to move trees and debris and even supplied a crane to help if it was needed.
Poenicke emphasized assistance from the private sector and some local businesses was very impressive at Pavilion Estates. He said Vic’s Septic brought out two portable restrooms for the first responders and others to use at Pavilion Estates, and a couple of friends of Poenicke volunteered to bring equipment to move trees and debris out of the way, allowing firefighters access to some of the mobile homes.
“It’s really cool when you can call your friends and you get what you need without any questions asked. It’s pretty amazing. There is a lot of good left in the community,” said Poenicke.
Fuller said many citizens offered to help. He said the Kalamazoo Foundation has offered to set up a fund solely for the tornado purpose. Log onto the City of Portage Facebook page for details how to make contributions or help.
Mary Lynn Foster, Michigan Regional chief executive officer of the American Red Cross, said the Kalamazoo First Assembly of God was opened quickly for displaced people, focusing on immediate needs such as food and water. She said another Red Cross shelter opened May 8, providing immediate needs of shelter, food, comfort. The shelter was also used for pets that were displaced as well as a shelter for pets with displaced residents utilizing the area.
City of Portage Public Safety Director Nicholas Armold requested more staffing to check all of the hard hit areas, double and even triple checking areas to make sure nobody was trapped, help was getting to people quickly, and making sure everyone was accounted for.
“The bottom line is it was people helping people. The residents stepped right up and were handing out water to emergency personnel. The neighbors were checking on their neighbors. They were asking us, where do you guys need us and what can we do,” said Fuller.
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