A powerful tornado outbreak tore through southwest Michigan on Friday afternoon, killing four people , including a 12-year-old boy and injuring at least a dozen others in what officials described as the deadliest tornado event to hit the state since 2023.
Three victims were killed when a tornado struck near Union Lake, west of Union City, in Branch County. Twelve others were hurt in the same area, with three hospitalised. In neighbouring Cass County, the fourth fatality identified on Saturday as a 12-year-old boy was reported near Edwardsburg, where several others were injured close to the Indiana state line.
The National Weather Service confirmed on Saturday that an EF3 tornado with estimated winds of at least 150 miles per hour struck the Union Lake area. The storm’s path of destruction ran from west of Edwardsburg through Three Rivers to the Union Lake area.
The tornadoes carved a path of destruction across the region, levelling trees, damaging homes and businesses, and leaving thousands without electricity. Videos shared on social media showed a twister ripping the roof off a Menards store in Three Rivers. In Cass County, multiple large structures, including homes and pole barns, sustained damage ranging from major structural impacts to complete destruction. Heavy rainfall on the evening of March 6 delayed some cleanup efforts.
Indiana Michigan Power reported roughly 5,500 outages, while Midwest Energy and Communications cited another 1,300 customers affected.
Governor Gretchen Whitmer announced Saturday she will declare a state of emergency for Branch, Cass and St. Joseph counties, saying: “We’re working with emergency teams to monitor the situation and coordinate resources for those impacted,” and extending condolences to families who lost loved ones.
The National Weather Service dispatched survey teams on Saturday to assess tornado damage, beginning in Union City before working through St. Joseph and Cass counties.
The storms marked the first tornadoes in Michigan to cause multiple deaths since 2023, when five people were killed after a series of twisters swept across southern Michigan.
