PORTAGE, Mich. — A FedEx Ship Center is partially collapsed Wednesday following severe storms that ripped off both the roof and the front of the building.
Seven tornadoes were confirmed in the Midwest Tuesday evening, four of which were in Southwest Michigan. The region is now facing demolished buildings, scattered debris and widespread power outages.
The FedEx Center on Portage Road was severely damaged by the tornadoes. A video sent to 13 ON YOUR SIDE by Jim Morrison shows the building's exterior wall collapsed and much of the roof torn off.
Kalamazoo Emergency Management told ABC News there were an estimated 50 people trapped inside the FedEx building due to downed wires.
Crews were able to clear the wires and get all 50 employees out safely.
13 ON YOUR SIDE spoke with two FedEx drivers who were on their routes during the storm.
"At that time I looked up and I was like, 'Things are not getting good, it's getting windy, the weather's getting really, really bad really, really quick,'" one driver said. "So at that time it was more about seeking shelter for me and caring about myself."
The other driver said he got back to the FedEx Center about five minutes after the tornado rolled through.
"I did come in through the storm, and the wind was howling, it was blowing against my truck. It was extremely loud," he said.
Debris is littering the roads and the parking lot surrounding the building, which crews are working to clear. Large trees were uprooted in the area, signs were blown over and an electrical box was torn away.
FedEx corporate said they are thankful that no one was hurt, and now they are working to minimize shipping delays.
"Our thoughts are with those affected by the tornado in Portage, Michigan, and we are grateful there were no serious injuries resulting from the damage to our facility at 6701 Portage Road. We continue to assess the damage, and we are implementing contingency plans to lessen any potential impacts on service. Customers with questions about their shipments can check fedex.com for updates," Shannon Davis with FedEx Media Relations said.
Additional damage was reported in other areas of Portage including the Mercantile Bank building, which had portions of its roof blown off from the high winds. A Pizza Hut and Jude's Barbershop were both destroyed.
The Portage Department of Public Safety asked that you avoid travel to Portage until further notice.
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