FRENCHTOWN TOWNSHIP, Mich. (WXYZ) — As severe weather season in Michigan quickly approaches, tips are being shared about how people who live in mobile home communities can stay safe.
How do tornadoes form?
August 2023 is a time that Frenchtown Villa residents will likely never forget. That's when an EF-1 tornado ripped through their neighborhood.
2023 REPORT: Major damage reported at Frenchtown Villa Trailer Park in Monroe County
"We waited a little while, and then we came out. Two houses down, the whole trailer had flipped over. People were screaming 'help, help, help," said Jeri Dorcey, a resident at Frenchtown Villa.
The damage from the storm forever changed how some in the area view the threat of severe weather.
"When there's a thunderstorm or any thunder or anything, I'm scared," Dorcey said.
"You've got to protect yourselves and be knowing what's going on in your surrounding areas instead of 'I'll be okay'. No," said Todd Collins, who lives in Frenchtown Villa.
Spring into the early summer is the most frequent time for severe weather in Michigan.
"A lot of times it's severe thunderstorms that we deal with, but we do have an average of about 15 tornados in Michigan each year," said 7 News Detroit meteorologist Hally Vogel.
Vogel says the average lead time for a tornado warning is just 10 to 15 minutes, which makes staying alert crucial.
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"We always say when we issue a severe thunderstorm, just act like it's capable of producing that tornado because, regardless, it's likely to have these high winds or damaging winds when it is severe," Vogel said.
For those who live at manufactured or mobile mobiles, Frenchtown Township Fire Chief Wendy Stevens says preparing ahead of time is the best safety tool during severe weather.
What should you do during severe weather?
"You should have a plan before the sirens go off. Where is our safe place? Where are the area shelters? You should have bottles of water in case your power goes out," Stevens said.
Stevens added that mobile homes are not meant to withstand tornados, so people should evacuate to other shelters when possible.
If for some reason you can't, get away from windows and find a low-lying area.
"You want to be beneath where the wind is going to get you, and you don't want to be hit by flying objects," Stevens said.
Some Frenchtown Villa residents already have their arrangements ready.
"We have two things we can do; we can either go up front, or I go into a small closet," Collins said.
Community members in Monroe County are encouraged to sign up for the Monroe County Alert Notification System by texting their zip code to 888777.
