ARMADA, Mich. – Officials believe a tornado may have touched down Saturday (July 24) evening in Armada, one of the areas hardest hit by storms that moved through Southeast Michigan.
Many homes and businesses in the village in northern Macomb County are badly damaged but officials said there have been no reports of injuries.
Update: National Weather Service confirms EF-1 tornado touched down in Armada
A business on Main Street in Armada no longer has a roof due to the severe weather. There are now debris and bricks scattered in the area.
A man living in an apartment near the downtown area said he ran when he saw the storm.
“My phone went off for the alert. I saw powerline’s blowing and then I saw debris take off in the air. I told my wife, ‘grab our cat and get in the bathroom.’ I had just gotten to the bathroom and that’s when I heard a big thump and the roof fell in,” Dan Rusk said.
The National Weather Service has not yet confirmed that it was a tornado that touched down in Armada.
“We know there were some officers who actually saw the funnel cloud. Do we actually know there was a tornado? Well, it appears as such -- but until the National Weather Service confirms it -- we can’t confirm or say that. But we know with the significant amount of damage and our experience dealing with these things, there had to be some sort of tornado that hit here. It can’t just be high winds,” Macomb County Executive Mark Hackel said.
Read: Severe storms leave damage in their wake as they exit Southeast Michigan