Midwest Picks Up Pieces After 'Devastating' Storms

The Midwest began massive storm cleanup yesterday as power was restored in southern Michigan after a series of tornadoes, and Ohio residents picked through homes ruined by floods. Hardest hit was Fenton, where at least 250 buildings in the Michigan town were destroyed when six tornadoes touched down in the state on Friday.

Ohio Gov. Ted Strickland wants the federal government to declare north-central Ohio a major disaster area, the AP reports. A disaster declaration, already granted in southern Wisconsin, would allow residents to apply for aid, housing and loans. “It's difficult to exaggerate what's happened here,” Strickland said as he visited a town destroyed by a flood. “It's absolutely devastating.”  (More Midwest stories.)