At least six people were killed Friday after powerful storms spawned tornadoes that tore through parts of Michigan and Oklahoma, flattening homes, ripping roofs away and tossing debris into power lines. The storms brought down trees and prompted tornado warnings across southern Michigan.
In Branch County’s Union Lake area, roughly two hours from Detroit, authorities reported three deaths, 12 injuries and three people taken to hospitals, according to the Branch County Sheriff’s Office. About 50 miles southwest in Cass County, officials reported one death and said several large structures — including homes and pole barns — suffered damage ranging from major structural failure to total destruction.
Residents recorded violent, rotating columns of air. One video shows a funnel forming and descending toward frozen Union Lake as trees were uprooted and debris flew; a witness shouted that houses were being lifted. The National Weather Service confirmed at least one tornado near Union City and investigators were following up on reports of additional twisters.
Part of the First Congregational United Church of Christ in Union City was damaged, though the congregation said its nearly 150-year-old grand piano survived. In Edwardsburg, near the Indiana line, officials reported downed trees and heavily damaged homes and urged residents to avoid the area. St. Joseph County authorities warned people 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, road closures and communications interruptions.
Meteorologists said the outbreak was driven by Gulf moisture being pulled northward, a warm front and much cooler air over the Great Lakes — a combination that created favorable conditions for tornadoes in a state that averages around 15 tornadoes a year. Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer activated the State Emergency Operations Center to coordinate response and recovery efforts.
Oklahoma also reported tornado damage and fatalities. Emergency managers said a tornado carved about a 4-mile path through Okmulgee County, roughly 30 miles south of Tulsa. Annie Vest, director of Oklahoma Emergency Management, told CBS News early Saturday that there were two weather-related deaths in Beggs, located in Okmulgee County. Governor Kevin Stitt said both Beggs and parts of Tulsa were struck.
Separately, near the western Oklahoma town of Fairview, a deputy’s dash camera captured a massive funnel. A 47-year-old woman and her 13-year-old daughter from the Fairview area were found dead in a vehicle late Thursday; the Oklahoma Highway Patrol said the crash appears to be tornado-related. Governor 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 those Thursday-night storms were tornadoes.
The Storm Prediction Center said more than 7 million people were in the highest risk corridor on Friday, stretching through Kansas City, Tulsa and Omaha, and nearly 25 million were in a slightly lower-risk area that included Dallas, Oklahoma City and Milwaukee. Forecasters warned of severe, scattered thunderstorms from the Plains into the Ozarks and the Midwest.
Officials noted the outbreak came near the start of tornado season and urged people to be prepared: have a weather radio, know shelter locations and have a plan. While conditions eased in parts of the Northeast, several New England states remained under advisories. The same pattern was expected to bring unusually warm air to parts of the South and Midwest over the weekend, with temperatures 20–30 degrees above average and the potential for many daily record highs.