A tornado tore through southern Michigan on Friday as severe storms swept across the central United States from Texas to Iowa, reducing homes to rubble and tearing roofs from buildings across multiple counties in the state's southwestern region.
In Branch County, about two hours west of Detroit, three people died and 12 were injured. A fourth death was reported in nearby Cass County, where emergency officials documented multiple large structures destroyed or severely damaged, including homes and pole barns. Three additional people were hospitalized. The tornado's path cut through the area with such force that it lifted houses off their foundations, according to video recorded by a witness standing on her back deck across Union Lake.
The devastation extended beyond Michigan. In Oklahoma, a 47-year-old woman and her 13-year-old daughter from the town of Fairview were found dead in a vehicle near a highway intersection Thursday night. Authorities said the crash appeared to be tornado-related. The National Weather Service planned to send a damage survey crew Friday to determine whether Thursday's storms in that area were confirmed tornadoes. Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt said in a statement Friday that "severe weather struck Major County last night and tragically claimed the lives of a mother and daughter."
The storms formed a line extending from Michigan all the way to North Texas, with the strongest activity forecast for Friday across Oklahoma, Kansas, Missouri, and neighboring states.
The meteorological setup was unusual for Michigan. A system pulling moisture from the Gulf of Mexico collided with a warm front moving north, creating conditions rare enough in the state that the National Weather Service called it noteworthy. Michigan averages only 15 tornadoes per year, far fewer than Texas with 155 annually or Kansas with 96. When the warm, moist air encountered the much cooler Great Lakes region, the collision produced the violent rotating columns of air that witnesses recorded on video across southern Michigan.
In Union City, part of the First Congregational United Church of Christ was damaged, though the building's nearly 150-year-old grand piano was spared. A Menard's home improvement store had its roof torn off. Storage buildings were torn apart, sending debris flying. Trees were snapped from their roots across multiple counties. In Okmulgee County, Oklahoma, a tornado cut a 4-mile path of damage about 30 miles south of Tulsa, toppling large trees and injuring residents.
Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer activated the state's Emergency Operations Center to coordinate response efforts. In St. Joseph County near the Indiana border, the sheriff's office warned residents to seek shelter immediately and told them to expect power outages, closed roadways, and cellular interruptions. In the Edwardsburg area near Indiana, officials reported downed trees and heavily damaged homes and warned residents to avoid the area. Cass County Emergency Manager Manny DeLaRosa said multiple large structures sustained damage ranging from major structural impacts to complete destruction.
This outbreak marks the first major severe weather event as spring storm season begins. The pattern that created Friday's storms is also expected to bring unseasonably warm temperatures across the eastern United States by the weekend, with highs 20 to 30 degrees above average. Louisville is forecast to reach 81 degrees, Atlanta 82 degrees, and Washington, D.C., 74 degrees by Saturday. Daily temperature records could become widespread.
Melissa Mayes, deputy director of the Washington County Emergency Management Agency in Bartlesville, Oklahoma, called this "probably our first real event this season where people are really starting to pay attention." For residents in tornado-prone areas, experts recommend having a weather radio and a predetermined shelter location before the next storm arrives.
A tornado tore through southern Michigan on Friday, killing at least four people and injuring a dozen more as severe storms swept across the central United States from Texas to Iowa. The confirmed tornado near Union City, Michigan struck around 4:40 p.m., reducing homes to rubble and tearing roofs from buildings across multiple counties in the state's southwestern region.
In Branch County, about two hours west of Detroit, three people died and 12 were injured. A fourth death was reported in nearby Cass County, where emergency officials documented multiple large structures destroyed or severely damaged, including homes and pole barns. Three additional people were hospitalized. The tornado's path cut through the area with such force that it lifted houses off their foundations, according to video recorded by a witness standing on her back deck across Union Lake.
The devastation extended beyond Michigan. In Oklahoma, a 47-year-old woman and her 13-year-old daughter from the town of Fairview were found dead in a vehicle near a highway intersection Thursday night. Authorities said the crash appeared to be tornado-related, though meteorologists were still investigating whether Thursday's storms in that area were confirmed tornadoes. Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt said in a statement Friday that "severe weather struck Major County last night and tragically claimed the lives of a mother and daughter."
More than 7 million Americans faced the highest risk of severe weather Friday in a zone stretching across Kansas City, Tulsa, and Omaha. Nearly 25 million more people were at elevated risk in a larger area that included Dallas, Oklahoma City, and Milwaukee. The storms formed a line extending from Michigan all the way to North Texas, with the strongest activity forecast for Friday across Oklahoma, Kansas, Missouri, and neighboring states.
The meteorological setup was unusual for Michigan. A system pulling moisture from the Gulf of Mexico collided with a warm front moving north, creating conditions rare enough in the state that the National Weather Service called it noteworthy. Michigan averages only 15 tornadoes per year, far fewer than Texas with 155 annually or Kansas with 96. When the warm, moist air encountered the much cooler Great Lakes region, the collision produced the violent rotating columns of air that witnesses recorded on video across southern Michigan.
In Union City, part of the First Congregational United Church of Christ was damaged, though the building's nearly 150-year-old grand piano was spared. A Menard's home improvement store had its roof torn off. Storage buildings were torn apart, sending debris flying. Trees were snapped from their roots across multiple counties. In Okmulgee County, Oklahoma, a tornado cut a 4-mile path of damage about 30 miles south of Tulsa, toppling large trees and injuring residents.
Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer activated the state's Emergency Operations Center to coordinate response efforts. In St. Joseph County near the Indiana border, the sheriff's office warned residents to seek shelter immediately and told them to expect power outages, closed roadways, and cellular interruptions. In the Edwardsburg area near Indiana, officials reported downed trees and heavily damaged homes and warned residents to avoid the area. Cass County Emergency Manager Manny DeLaRosa said multiple large structures sustained damage ranging from major structural impacts to complete destruction.
This outbreak marks the first major severe weather event as spring storm season begins. The pattern that created Friday's storms is also expected to bring unseasonably warm temperatures across the eastern United States by the weekend, with highs 20 to 30 degrees above average. Louisville is forecast to reach 81 degrees, Atlanta 82 degrees, and Washington, D.C., 74 degrees by Saturday. Daily temperature records could become widespread.
Emergency managers across Oklahoma and Kansas spent Friday preparing their communities for what they expect to be an active tornado season. Melissa Mayes, deputy director of the Washington County Emergency Management Agency in Bartlesville, Oklahoma, called this "probably our first real event this season where people are really starting to pay attention." For residents in tornado-prone areas, experts recommend having a weather radio and a predetermined shelter location before the next storm arrives.
Highlighted text was flagged by the council. Tap to see feedback.
