Severe storms blew through southwest Michigan Sunday night causing some damage and power outages in the region.

The hardest hit areas are in Van Buren County where a tornado warning was in effect around 10 p.m. Sunday. A fire official reported a tornado on the ground east of Gobles and about 7 miles southwest of Otsego.

Jeremiah Ashbrook of Bloomingdale captured video of high winds that sent his trampoline flying into a field.

Storm Damage Video: Trampoline flies away, Jeremiah Ashbrook

It also caused some damage to a portion of his house.

Jeremiah Ashbrook

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Another viewer sent in photos showing a flipped dock and boat lift on Long Lake in Van Buren County. Their boat ended up at the neighbor’s place.

The National Weather Service has received these reports of damage as of early Monday morning.

• Lots of damage in Pine Grove and Bloomingdale areas extending to Gobles. A number of trees down, power lines down. One power pole snapped in half, one tree on house, one tree on car. No reported injuries.

• Number of trees and power lines down with power outages between Texas Corners NE to the Oakwood Area in Kalamazoo County
• “Bright electric flash” on soaked road as power went out between I-94 and US-131 interchange. Possibly a live line falling into the standing water.
• Tree limbs down in Lexington Green area in Portage
• 76 mph wind gust in Kalamazoo County

As of 11:30 p.m., Consumers Energy reports more than 21,000 customers are without power. Most outages are in Allegan, Kalamazoo, and Van Buren counties. You can see the current outages HERE.

If you do lose power, Consumers Energy recommends unplugging sensitive electronics like computers, TVs and printers to prevent electrical damage when power is restored.

If you use a generator, Consumers Energy says to never place it in your basement, garage or other enclosed space. Keep generators away from any air intakes to avoid carbon monoxide poisoning.

Consumers Energy says a downed power line should be given a 25-foot buffer. If you spot a downed power line that has not been marked, call 9-1-1 and Consumers Energy 1-800-477-5050.

Michigan has laws in place that can require someone give up their weapons if they are believed to be a danger to themselves or others.

In February of this year, Michigan enacted new gun laws that included an Extreme Risk Protection Order (ERPO) law. The ERPO law allows the courts to temporarily prevent people deemed a risk to themselves or others from having or buying firearms.

A spouse, former spouse, partner, former partner, family member, roommate, guardian, law enforcement officer, or healthcare provider can petition the court to have a person’s firearms temporarily removed if they are deemed to be a risk.

According to the University of Michigan Institute for Firearm Injury Prevention, there are three types of ERPO petitions in Michigan:

• An Immediate Emergency Ex Parte ERPO, which can only be filed by law enforcement. This type of petition can be filed verbally, over the phone, by a law enforcement officer who is responding to someone involved in a crisis who the officer believes is at risk of harming themselves or others. If the order is granted, the court will schedule a hearing on the order within 14 days of the order being served.

• An Ex Parte ERPO is filed if someone believes there is a risk of the person harming themselves or others in the very near future. This type of petition is given priority by the court. The petition is required to offer evidence that the person may hurt themselves or others and does pose a risk of harm in the near future. If the request is rejected by the court, the petitioner can request a hearing within 21 days of the denial. If the ERPO is ordered, the person served the ERPO will have to request a hearing within seven days of receiving the order.

• A Final ERPO hearing is scheduled if an Ex Parte ERPO is not requested by the petitioner; if an Ex Parte ERPO is denied and the petitioner requests a hearing; and if an Ex Parte ERPO is granted and the respondent requests a hearing.

How to file an ERPO in Michigan

The University of Michigan Institute for Firearm Injury Prevention has a website dedicated to helping people understand the ERPO filing and order process in Michigan.

Here is a overview of the steps required to file an ERPO petition:

1. Fill out an ERPO petition. An ERPO petition is called a complaint. The person who fills out the complaint is known as the petitioner and must fill out forms and submit them to the family division of the circuit court. The complaint should detail any facts that show the person is a significant risk or harming themselves or others. The person does not need to currently have a firearm to an ERPO to be filed.

2. The petition must be submitted to the appropriate circuit court.

3. ERPO petitioners are required to attend a hearing and review the complaint and evidence for why an ERPO may be necessary. If the petitioner does not attend, the ERPO will not be granted.

4. The court makes a decision and if granted, the ERPO will be served.

5. An ERPO in Michigan can last up to one year.

More information on the process and links to the correct forms are available at firearminjury.umich.edu/mi-erpo-filing/.

The order forms are also available at courts.michigan.gov/SCAO-forms/extreme-risk-protection/

What happens when an ERPO is ordered?

If an ERPO is ordered, the respondent must give up any firearms they have to law enforcement, or, if allowed by the court, to a licensed firearm dealer. They are not allowed to have firearms for the duration of the order, which lasts a maximum of one year.

—> Previous: What are red flag laws? How can they tackle gun violence?

What does the court consider?

Here are the factors that the court will consider during an ERPO hearing:

• Threats or acts of violence towards themselves or others, even if the threats did not involve a firearm;

• History of violence or signs of serious mental illness;

• Previous protection orders and violation of protection orders;

• Reckless use, display, or brandishing of firearms;

• Recent acts of cruelty to animals;

• Previous criminal charges for assault and/or domestic violence;

• Alcohol and/or substance abuse;

• Recent purchase or attempt to purchase firearms or deadly weapons.

Extreme Risk Protection Order manual

Below is a PDF of the manual for the Extreme Risk Protection Order Act 2023 PA 38 that went into effect on Feb. 13, 2024. The PDF can also be found and downloaded at courts.michigan.gov.