Tornado Kills at Least 3 (Some Reports Say 4), Injures 12 in Southwest Michigan

A suspected tornado struck parts of southwest Michigan on Friday afternoon, touching down near U.S. 131 in the Three Rivers area and tracking northeast.

Officials issued warnings and local schools altered schedules as the storm moved through.

Live 5 News

Patch reported that a tornado warning was issued for nearby counties and that Three Rivers Community Schools delayed dismissal and kept students inside until at least 4:25 p.m., warning of widespread damage and bus delays.

Live 5 News described a broader outbreak of spring storms that produced apparent tornadoes across the Plains and Midwest on Friday, underscoring the multi-state nature of the severe weather threat.

Authorities reported multiple fatalities and roughly a dozen injuries in southwest Michigan.

Two outlets reported three deaths and about 12 injured in the Branch County/Union Lake–Union City area.

Patch

Mathrubhumi English wrote that the storm produced a tornado that killed three people and injured several others, and that the Branch County Sheriff's Office reported about 12 injuries in the Union Lake area.

Live 5 News said the outbreak was killing at least three people in Michigan and injuring about a dozen others, and described the Branch County tally as three deaths, 12 injuries and significant damage.

Patch's local coverage documented the tornado activity and warnings that framed those casualty reports.

Damage in the affected communities included roofs ripped from large retail buildings, storage facilities destroyed, and widespread tree loss and power interruptions.

“Suspected Tornado Rips Through Southwest Michigan: Reports Video posted to social media showed a twister ripping the roof off a Menards store and pulling apart a storage unit in the area”

Patch

Patch detailed social-media footage showing "a twister ripping the roof off a Menards and damaging a storage unit."

Mathrubhumi described powerful winds that "tore the roof off a home improvement store, sent parts of a storage building flying and toppled trees."

Live 5 News echoed those observations, reporting "a home improvement store roof ripped off, parts of a storage building blown away and many downed trees."

Officials warned residents across nearby counties to seek shelter and prepare for outages and blocked roads as the storm moved through.

Mathrubhumi quoted St. Joseph County authorities urging people to "seek shelter immediately" amid a "severe thunderstorm watch and possible winds over 60 mph," and warning of "likely power outages, blocked roads and communications interruptions."

WDIV

Patch noted a tornado warning timing, saying "A tornado warning had been issued for portions of Cass and St. Joseph counties at 3:14 p.m."

Live 5 News added that nearby St. Joseph and Edwardsburg areas also "reported heavy wind damage and officials urged residents to seek shelter and expect outages and closed roads."

The Michigan events formed part of a wider severe-weather outbreak across the Plains and Midwest that prompted state-level responses and planned damage surveys.

“Kainan Hicks, a Cricket Wireless employee, recorded a sudden, violent storm that sent metal roofing, insulation, and other debris flying through a nearby shopping plaza”

WDIV

Live 5 News said the Storm Prediction Center had placed "more than 7 million people in a highest-risk zone" and nearly 25 million at elevated risk across several states, and reported that the "state activated its Emergency Operations Center."

Live 5 News

Live 5 News also noted that the National Weather Service planned damage surveys in affected areas.

Patch and Mathrubhumi supplied localized footage and eyewitness descriptions — Patch of the Menards damage and Mathrubhumi of "dramatic footage from near Union City" showing "a rotating column of air moving across a lake" — that will be relevant to those surveys and recovery efforts.