EXPLANATION The verb 'is' should be followed by a singular noun, such as in: There is a report of damaging winds and hail. When speaking, we often contract 'there is' to 'there's', as in There's a report of damaging winds and hail. However, because there’s is easy to say, some people (including journalists!) have started, rather lazily, to follow it with plural nouns, as in: There's reports of significant hail damage... (Clearly that should be There are reports of significant hail damage.)
This is turning into a serious problem as people hear there's used incorrectly in this way and unconsciously imitate it.
As a further development, some people are also starting to use the wrong verb after there, as in: There was thousands and thousands of people at the event.