At least six people were killed Friday in Michigan and Oklahoma as powerful storms produced at least one tornado that reduced homes to rubble, sent parts of roofs flying and left debris tangled in power lines. Storms knocked down trees and prompted tornado warnings across southern Michigan.
In Branch County’s Union Lake area, about two hours from Detroit, authorities reported three deaths, 12 injuries and three people transported to hospitals, the Branch County Sheriff’s Office said. About 50 miles southwest in Cass County, officials reported one death and said multiple large structures, including homes and pole barns, suffered damage ranging from major structural impacts to complete destruction.
Residents posted videos showing violent, rotating columns of air. Lisa Piper recorded a funnel cloud form and descend toward frozen Union Lake as trees were uprooted and debris flew. “It’s lifting houses!” she exclaimed. At least one tornado was confirmed near Union City by the National Weather Service, and there were reports of possible additional tornadoes.
Part of the First Congregational United Church of Christ in Union City was damaged, although the congregation said its nearly 150-year-old grand piano was spared. In Edwardsburg, near the Indiana border, officials reported downed trees and heavily damaged homes and warned residents to stay away. In St. Joseph County, authorities urged residents to “seek shelter immediately” after reports of an unconfirmed tornado, a severe thunderstorm watch and possible winds over 60 mph, cautioning of likely power outages, closed roads and communications interruptions.
Meteorologists said a system that pulled Gulf moisture northward combined with a warm front and much cooler Great Lakes air to create conditions favorable for tornadoes in a state that averages about 15 tornadoes a year. Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer activated the State Emergency Operations Center to coordinate response efforts.
Oklahoma also reported tornado damage and fatalities. A tornado carved roughly a 4-mile path in Okmulgee County, about 30 miles south of Tulsa, emergency managers said. Annie Vest, director for Oklahoma Emergency Management, told CBS News early Saturday there were two weather-related deaths in Beggs, in Okmulgee County. Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt said Beggs and Tulsa had been hit by tornadoes.
Separately, near the western Oklahoma town of Fairview, a storm with a giant funnel was filmed by a deputy’s dash camera. Nearby, a 47-year-old woman and her 13-year-old daughter from Fairview were found dead in a vehicle at about 10 p.m. Thursday; the crash “appears to be tornado related,” the Oklahoma Highway Patrol said. Gov. Stitt said severe weather in Major County “tragically claimed the lives of a mother and daughter.” The National Weather Service planned damage surveys to determine whether Thursday night’s storms were confirmed tornadoes.
The Storm Prediction Center warned more than 7 million Americans were at the highest risk for severe weather Friday in a corridor that included Kansas City, Tulsa and Omaha, and nearly 25 million people were in a slightly lower-risk area that included Dallas, Oklahoma City and Milwaukee. Severe, scattered thunderstorms were possible from the Plains to the Ozarks and Midwest.
Forecasters noted the outbreak arrives near the start of tornado season and urged preparedness steps such as having a weather radio and a shelter plan. While the weather began easing in parts of the Northeast, several New England states remained under advisories. The pattern was also expected to bring unusually warm temperatures to parts of the South and Midwest over the weekend, with readings 20–30 degrees above average and the potential for widespread daily record highs.