The National Weather Service issued a series of tornado warnings Friday as powerful storms moved across southwest Michigan.
Three people were killed and 12 injured in Branch County when a suspected tornado hit near Union City, the county sheriff said. Officials in Cass County said they had confirmed one fatality and several injuries, along with blocked roads and damage to "multiple large structures" that ranged from "major structural impacts to complete destruction."
Governor Gretchen Whitmer activated the State Emergency Operations Center to help local responders in the aftermath of the storms.
Video from Three Rivers obtained by Michigan Public showed a funnel cloud forming and careening across a strip mall parking lot, rocking cars and sending debris spiraling as it swept through the city 20 miles south of Kalamazoo.
A couple traveling through Three Rivers from northern Indiana said they watched the tornado rip the roof off a Menards hardware store. A manager at the store told MLive that people inside scrambled for cover, and he was not aware of any serious injuries.
The St. Joseph County Sheriff's Office told people to avoid travel in the city of Three Rivers and Fabius Township, which neighbors the city to the west, and to call 911 to report anyone unaccounted for.
"Citizens should anticipate power outages, closed roadways and/or neighborhoods, and cellular/internet disruptions," the sheriff's office said.
Indiana Michigan Power, which supplies electricity to the area, reported more than 4,700 customers without power near Three Rivers Friday evening.
The line of storms that spawned the tornadoes churned across the state for more than three hours. The National Weather Service issued 10 tornado warnings starting at 3:15 p.m. and ending at 6:30 — although a severe thunderstorm watch remained in effect for parts of Illinois, Indiana, and Michigan until 11 p.m.
The weather service said the storms also had a chance to bring golf-ball size hail.
Michigan State Police said in a social media post that injuries and property damage had been reported as a result of the storms, but did not offer details.
