During a tornado warning late Thursday night, May 15, Freeland resident Bronwyn Mayer said she attempted to seek shelter outside her mobile home, only to find the gates to a nearby public park were locked.
With rain falling heavily, Mayer said she drove to a local Taco Bell, where employees ultimately allowed her to take cover inside the building’s walk-in cooler.
“He said, ‘I’m not going to let anyone die over this,’” Mayer recalled of the conversation with a store employee.
The incident has sparked concerns about tornado safety and the lack of accessible emergency shelters in mobile home communities, a vulnerability highlighted as Michigan experiences a higher-than-average number of tornadoes this year.
According to the National Weather Service, three tornadoes were confirmed to have touched down in Michigan that night.
So far in 2025, at least 25 tornadoes have occurred in the state, nearly double the annual average of 13 between May and August since the early 2000s. If the trend continues, the total could approach or exceed the state's record of 39 tornadoes, set in 1974.
An analysis by MLive found that the National Weather Service’s Grand Rapids office issued 10 tornado warnings during the May 15–16 storm system. Eight of the 10 confirmed tornadoes occurred within warning zones, while two touching down outside of official warnings.
Reported lead times ranged from seven to 26 minutes, depending on the location. Weather officials said this response reflects a lower-than-average false alarm ratio and relatively strong warning performance.
The data highlights the challenge for mobile home residents, who may require more time or specific shelter options to respond to short-notice alerts.
Resident concerns & emergency response
Taylor Berry, a Freeland mobile home resident who is pregnant and has two children under age four, said her family also struggled to find shelter in time.
“By the time we all woke up, the storm was already here,” Berry said. “It would definitely be nice if the park, or somewhere close by, had shelter for all of us.”
Freeland’s mobile home communities currently do not have designated storm shelters.
Tittabawassee Township Fire Chief Philip Shaver said his department receives tornado alerts through Saginaw County 911 and activates local sirens to notify residents. The department advises residents to shelter in place if possible, preferably in a bathroom or an interior room without windows.
“If you don't have a basement, try to get to the lowest lying area as possible,” Shaver said. Get to the center.”
Both Mayer and Berry said they received emergency notifications from Freeland Mobile Home Park advising residents to evacuate. However, Shaver said evacuation is not always recommended, especially if the storm’s direction is unclear.
“You don't want to drive into the severe weather, you want to drive away from it, so it's very important that they understand where the weather pattern is moving and where the severe weather is moving in order to make the decision what's best for them,” Shaver said.
In an email exchange with Mayer, Shaver said that if a shelter is not available, residents may consider taking cover underneath their homes, if the structure is secure and accessible.
Mayer said that option was not realistic for her. The vinyl skirting installed around the base of her mobile home is designed to enclose the area beneath it, with no built-in access panel.
“I would have to rip off the skirting there,” she said. “And some people just can't get down like that. So crawling underneath their mobile home is not an option for a lot of people. I'm sure I could manage it being 27 still.”
She also expressed concern for neighbors who lacked transportation or might not have received the warning in time.
“I was concerned about my neighbors not leaving,” Mayer said. “But I figured there wasn't too much I could control in those aspects, and I hoped that they would protect and keep themselves safe for their own well-being and do what they needed to do as well...and that was hard for me because I felt like I was leaving them behind,” Mayer said.
Berry shared similar concerns.
“We have nowhere to go other than my parents' house which is 20 minutes away,” she said.
Mayer said she contacted Freeland Mobile Home Park management after the incident but did not receive a response. WCMU also reached out to the park's management teams and did not receive a response before deadline.
Some residents said they are hesitant to request infrastructure improvements, fearing that the cost could lead to increased rent or fees.
Shelter Design and Funding Challenges
David Marr, a licensed architect and project manager with Spicer Group, said his firm designs two to three storm shelters per year, typically through grants administered by the Michigan State Police Emergency Management and Homeland Security Division, which oversees FEMA funding in the state.
Marr, who leads and reviews the firm’s shelter projects, said structures built to FEMA P-361 standards must meet strict criteria. These include reinforced concrete or masonry construction, impact-resistant windows, toilets and potable water and roofs designed to withstand high uplift pressure and heavy debris.
“Funding sources are difficult,” Marr said. “Municipalities can seek grants to assist in the design and or construction, but the funds are so limited that they rarely get very much if anything at all.”
He added that while construction standards have improved for newer manufactured homes, many older units remain in use and are not built to withstand severe weather. Some, he said, are not fully anchored and rest on slabs with basic cable-and-bolt systems.
“Today they are much better but still not on par with ‘stick built’ homes,” he said.
Potential Solutions
Marr said one realistic option for manufactured housing communities would be to retrofit an existing clubhouse or office building with a basement and lift. This could serve as a storm shelter at a lower cost than a stand-alone facility.
Shaver encouraged residents to attend Tittabawassee Township Board meetings, held the second Tuesday of each month at 5 p.m., to share concerns or suggestions during public comment.
Mayer said she hopes the broader public recognizes the challenges mobile home residents face during severe weather.
“Not everyone has the option to own a house with a basement,” she said. “Not everyone has the financial situation to do so. We're all just doing the best we can with what we've been given in life. And everyone comes from a different background and starts from a different place in life. We don't all have the same options to shelter and stay safe, but we are all trying our best."
