National Weather Service confirms three separate tornados hit southwestern Michigan Friday night
State of emergency declared after west Michigan tornado
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer declared a state of emergency in several areas along the path of the tornado in the southwest side of the state. Cleanup began Saturday after it was announced that at least four people had died, three in Union City and a fourth in Cass County. Penni Jo Guthrie was identified as one of the victims, another was a 13-year-old boy. The other victims have not yet been publicly identified.
UNION CITY, MI (FOX 2) - After sending survey crews to the region, the National Weather Service confirmed that three separate tornadoes ripped through southwestern Michigan Friday night, leaving four people dead.
A lone supercell developed in La Porte County, Indiana, that moved up into Cass, St Joseph, and Branch counties in Michigan, where the death and destruction happened.
Four people have died, including a 12-year-old boy in Cass County, and three people in Union City. Penni Jo Guthrie was identified as one of the three Union City victims. The other two have not been identified publicly yet.
The Cass County Sheriff's Office announced the death of 12-year-old Silas Anderson. Dispatch received a 911 call around 3:12 p.m. Friday about a possible tornado in the 68000 block of Conrad Rd.
Officials say the caller told dispatch they could not find their 12-year-old son. When first responders made it to the location, the parents had found their son and were providing first aid, police said.
He was transported to a local hospital where he was pronounced deceased.
The National Weather Service confirmed a tornado had touched down in Union City. An EF-3 tornado with winds reaching at least 150mph has been confirmed according to their initial assessment. An EF-2 tornado was confirmed to have touched down in Three Rivers, and a third tornado was confirmed in the Edwardsburg area, but no rating was assigned to it as of Saturday evening.
The NWS survey is ongoing, and the information is subject to change.
According to Michigan's emergency management, the governor had activated the state's operations center.
Tornado caught on camera on Union Lake in Union City, Michigan
Video captured by TJ Secord in Union City shows a tornado trekking across the area as severe weather hits Southern Michigan.
Severe weather in Michigan
The National Weather Service issued tornado warnings for Mendon, Sherwood, and Union City around 4:30 p.m. Videos posted on social media showed a tornado blowing by Union Lake.
The weather service continued to order warnings as the storm tracked across the southern Lower Peninsula.
Officials said to look out for quarter-size hail and flying debris. People were told to take shelter in a basement or interior room on the lowest floor.
Consumers Energy also reported several thousand outages in the area around Union City and Joppa, southwest of Battle Creek.
Tornado tears across Union Lake in Union City. Courtesy: TJ Secord.
On the Ground:
Video shows the storm rolling through Union City on Union Lake. The video was taken by TJ Secord and shows the speed and size of the twister.
More video, this one taken in Three Rivers, captured the moment a tornado took shape and began to whip debris across the area.
Tornado vortex caught on camera in Three Rivers
The National Weather Service issued a tornado warning in the area as warmer temperatures and windy weather moved across Michigan. The area impacted as of 4:20 p.m. was northeastern St. Joseph and northwestern Branch counties.
At the same time, a Menards was severely damaged by the high winds, collapsing the roof.
Aerial photos of the devastation, taken by 517Drone Video and Photography, show the ghost of a neighborhood, now completely erased.
What they're saying:
Michigan State Police passed along a message from the St. Joseph County Sheriff's Office after reports of a tornado touching down in Three Rivers.
"We are asking everyone to please stay away from the north end of St. Joseph County until further notice. Emergency personnel are currently responding to an active situation in that area, and it is critical that our firefighters, law enforcement officers, EMS, and other emergency workers have clear access to do their jobs safely and effectively.
Unnecessary traffic and onlookers can delay response times and create additional hazards for both the public and first responders.
If you do not live in the immediate area or do not have essential business there, please avoid traveling to the north end of the county at this time.
We appreciate your cooperation and patience as our emergency teams work to manage the situation. Updates will be provided as more information becomes available."
The Village of Union City also put out a statement warning everyone to avoid unnecessary travel.
"Union City experienced significant storm damage this evening, particularly around the Union Lake and downtown areas. Village crews, emergency responders, and utility workers are actively working to assess damage and clear debris.
"We are asking residents to please avoid unnecessary driving in these areas. Extra traffic makes it difficult for emergency crews and utility workers to safely do their jobs.
If you do not need to be in the area, please stay home and allow crews the space they need to work."
Later in the night, the Branch County Sheriff announced that three people were dead, and twelve others were injured after the severe weather went through Union City. Meanwhile, a fourth person was killed in Cass County. Meanwhile, Cass County officials declared a state of emergency.
Michigan severe weather: Updates as storms, damaging winds roll through the state
Rounds of severe weather and high winds stormed across the state on Friday, leaving destruction and power outages.
Governor activates emergency operations center
The governor activated the State Emergency Operations Center in response to the severe weather.
The order is for Branch, Cass, and St. Joseph Counties. Injuries have been reported. The center said it was operating at a Level 3 monitoring status.
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The Union City Facebook page issued a thank you for community support and resource coordination.
"Since the storm, we have received an overwhelming number of messages and calls from people offering help… everything from food, equipment, dumpsters, porta potties, and even manual labor. The generosity of this community and surrounding communities has been incredible.
"At this time, we are working to coordinate both assistance and needs through a central location so resources can be matched with those who need them most.
"The Union City High School has been set up as a resource center where people can go for shelter or other needs. This effort is being coordinated by Kyle Miller and Stacy Guertler, who are helping organize for residents affected by the storm.
"• If you or someone you know needs assistance, please go to the High School or contact them there.
"• If you would like to donate supplies, volunteer, or offer resources, please let us know or contact the high school. You can drop off food or supplies via the High School.
:Again, thank you to everyone who has reached out to help. The support for Union City during this difficult time has been truly appreciated."
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The Source: FOX 2 used information from the National Weather Service for this report.