A rash of severe weather this week spawned reported tornados and powerful storms in Michigan, Missouri, Oklahoma, Ohio, Tennessee and other states, devastating some areas and creating challenges for companies in the print and promotional products industries.

One of the hardest hit areas was Portage, MI, where a trailer park was savaged and a FedEx facility sustained severe damage, with as many as 50 people trapped inside the night of Tuesday, May 7, according to various media reports.

Lot of damage from the tornado in Kalamazoo and Portage. FedEx building looks bad! pic.twitter.com/iZ7N1k2vZs

— Jim Morrison (@JimMorrison74) May 7, 2024

Top 40 promotional products supplier Edwards Garment (asi/51752) is headquartered in Kalamazoo, MI, which is less than 10 miles north of Portage. The company said its facility was not damaged and that its people were unharmed, though some endured property damage at their homes or family members' homes. While Edwards Garment did not have power early Wednesday, the facility was operating normally with the help of generators.

Still, Edwards Garment’s Free on Board (FOB) shipping hub is the destroyed FedEx facility.

Brian Deissroth, director of national accounts at Edwards Garment, said late Tuesday that business operations could be affected as a result, particularly same-day shipping fulfillment. On Wednesday morning, Edwards Garment issued a statement that said FedEx is planning on using backup facilities near Kalamazoo to handle its shipments. “Currently, we only foresee a one-time, one-day delay in shipments,” Edwards Garment said. “The shipments that were unable to go out last night will be shipped from our facility today.”

In a Facebook post, Edwards Garment said: “Our thoughts and prayers are with all affected in our community during this time and we will update our customers in a timely fashion as we learn more about the potential impact tonight may have on our shipping times in the near future. We ask for your patience during this difficult time for Southwest Michigan.”

Allegra – Marketing, Print, Mail of Portage is a provider of those services and others, including signage, that’s based in Portage, MI. President Brian Kaufman told ASI Media that the twister missed both the company’s office and his home by about a half mile. “It’s a pretty good disaster here,” he said. “It cut a five-mile swath right through town.”

Thankfully, employees are okay and the Allegra building sustained no damage. Still, there were operational roadblocks with which to contend. While power was on Wednesday morning and the Allegra team was working, there were network/internet issues that Kaufman was trying to rectify.

Additionally, potential shipments/logistics issues tied to the FedEx building being put out of commission needed to be addressed. “I’m sure FedEx is malleable enough to do the necessary rerouting but we still need to figure what that looks like,” Kaufman said. “We do 90% of our shipping through UPS anyway and we’ll be telling suppliers to send to us through UPS until things are figured out.”

Despite such challenges, Kaufman said he and the team were feeling lucky. “We were fortunate,” he said. “Sadly, others in our community were not.”

Amy Susan’s mother is among those dealing with more severe impacts. Susan, an account executive with Michigan-headquartered promo distributor Creative Studio Promotions (asi/170976), was helping her mom out Wednesday after the woman’s home was badly damaged by the Portage tornado. Susan and her family are safe, but “clean up efforts are extensive,” the promo pro's out-of-office message read.

The Troyer family was contending with personal impacts, too. Brad and Michelle Troyer own Proforma Printhouse (asi/491465), a print and promo distributorship based in a suburb south of Portage. The business was fine and operating after the tornado moved out, but the Troyers adult son Noah was displaced. “He lives in Portage, and his apartment complex got hammered,” Brad Troyer shared with ASI Media.

Noah, who took shelter in a basement, was fortunately unharmed. However, fallen trees destroyed his truck. Brad Troyer went up to Portage Tuesday night to get his son, who had to jump over downed trees to reach a pick-up point that could be accessed by a vehicle. “We’re thankful he’s okay,” said Brad Troyer. “He woke up this morning and said it all felt like a dream.”

Josh Geiger of Portage-based American Screen Printing (asi/120078) described a chilling experience.

“My two boys and myself arrived at my house 10 minutes before the tornado ran through our neighborhood,” Geiger told ASI Media. “It had been a normal rainy, cloudy day. All of a sudden, the sky got super bright yellow with the humidity in the air looking like a sci-fi movie. The wind was at a standstill. Then it picked up super, super fast. My boys and I ran downstairs. The tornado ran through my neighborhood at Colony Woods off of 12th street. The tornado went down Centre Street and did some damage to buildings and a lot of trees. It went right over our shop and tore through the neighborhood behind us, then landed on FedEx.”  

Geiger’s neighborhood took a bad hit. Power at his shop was down for a day. State crews are now in the area to help with clean up. “I have never seen so many construction companies and tree companies in my life cleaning up the area,” Geiger said. “It is being done at a very fast pace. I am proud of my community members.”

Nine tornados were reported Tuesday in Michigan, though weather experts have yet to confirm the exact number. Twisters also spun through Ohio, with Greenville, about 40 miles northwest of Dayton, incurring some of the worst impacts. A student recorded footage of a tornado north of New Bremen, OH.

Tornado north of New Bremen Ohio with power flashes. 10 mins ago . @NWSILN @ReedTimmerUSA @BrandonCopicWx @ryanhallyall pic.twitter.com/GdZzc1UzZX

— Nathan Droesch (@NatMatNo) May 8, 2024

Twisters also caused havoc and killed at least one person on the plains. The fatality occurred in Barnsdall, OK, where an EF4 tornado struck, hitting a nursing home and other structures as it ripped through the town of 1,000 about 40 miles north Tulsa. The National Weather Service confirmed that an EF1 tornado slammed into Smithville, TN, on Monday, while radar indicated that Sullivan, MO, sustained a strike from a debris-swirling twister, which damaged the local high school.

A lot of help now pouring in. This is the East side of Barnsdall, OK #OKwx @NWStulsa pic.twitter.com/jcGmMaz3rq

— Aaron Rigsby (@AaronRigsbyOSC) May 7, 2024

The severe weather continued Wednesday night, particularly across the South, resulting in at least two deaths in Tennessee and one in North Carolina. Tennessee-headquartered FedEx reported that, as a result of the punishing storms, it “experienced substantial disruptions” at its Memphis hub.

“Delays are possible for package deliveries across the U.S. with a delivery commitment of Thursday, May 9,” FedEx said. “Contingency plans are in place, and we are prepared to provide the best possible service as conditions allow. For specific shipment status information, please track your shipment at fedex.com.”

The United States Postal Service reported similar troubles. “Weather events in the South, Southeast, and Midwest U.S. are impacting the processing, transportation, and delivery of mail and packages,” USPS said. “Please allow additional time for final delivery of your item.”

*This article was updated Thursday, May 9th to include the input from Josh Geiger and impacts of Wednesday evening storms in the South.