THREE RIVERS, Mich. — A powerful storm tore through the Three Rivers area Friday afternoon, leaving a trail of destruction across multiple businesses near US-131 and Broadway, downing trees and power lines and sending debris across the area.
The storm ripped open the roof of a Menards store and blew a hole in the side of the building. Witnesses described a terrifying experience as the storm moved through.
Nicholas Kuhnle rushed to the area after the storm to find his wife, who had been inside one of the businesses.
"When I pulled up, it was surreal. You couldn't get through here. I had to park at Meijer and walk over here to find her, to make sure she was alright," Kuhnle said. "When I seen the back corner of the building, I said, 'Oh my God.' And then everything up here is, I walked up all the rooftop units, and I can't believe nobody got hurt."
Nicole Guthrie and Threasa Tase described the moment the storm hit.
"We started hearing thunder and a whole bunch of and then we heard a big old boom."
"The lights were like, flickering on and off. And one time they just completely shut off, and you can just hear all these big things just swinging and hitting the store from top to bottom, the sides, everywhere -- the windows. It's like you could hear the doors flinging.
A worker at another nearby business, Aubrey, described the chaos inside as the storm passed over.
"The wind was so powerful, like it was muffled. Everything was so loud, my co-workers and staff yelling and screaming, but the wind is like muffling your ears, but it's so loud," Aubrey said. "Yeah, once it was over, we came out. All everything was just destroyed."
There is no official word yet on any serious injuries in the Three Rivers area.
FOX 17 did learn of one person who was taken to the hospital after being trapped in their car outside of an Applebee's as wind and debris battered the vehicle, shattering its windows. Her family said all she could do was cry, cover her head, and hope for the best.
Utility crews responded quickly to the scene, working to clear downed power lines, traffic signals, and trees that temporarily shut down traffic on US-131. A steady law enforcement presence has also been maintained in the area.
The St. Joseph County Sheriff's Office has asked people who do not need to be in the area to stay away.
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