Tornadoes kill four, injure more than a dozen in rural Michigan

By Maria Tsvetkova

NEW YORK, March 6 (Reuters) – Tornadoes and strong storms killed at least four people and injured more than a dozen in southern Michigan on Friday, destroying multiple homes and leaving hundreds of residents without power, local authorities said.

Soon after the National Weather Service issued tornado warnings for the area on Friday, videos on social media claiming to be from the towns of Three Rivers and Union City showed massive whirlwinds tearing roofs off buildings and lifting debris into the air.

Local media footage showed smashed buildings and cars, and poles, trees and road signs that had been blown over.

Three fatalities and a dozen injuries were reported in Branch County, where Union City is located, the county’s sheriff’s office said.

One person was killed and several injured in Cass County, according to local authorities there.

“Multiple large structures – including homes and pole barns – sustained damage ranging from major structural impacts to complete destruction,” according to a statement on a website for Cass County.

Power outages had affected hundreds of people, local officials said.

“We have multiple utility poles down, transformers damaged, and long stretches of power lines on the ground. The north side of Union Lake sustained some of the most severe damage, with roughly two miles of line brought down in that area alone,” according to a posting on Union City’s official Facebook page that said restoration may take several days.

Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer said she activated a State Emergency Operations Center for monitoring the situation.

“The state is ready to fulfill any resource requests that may arise. We’ve yet to receive any just yet. It’s sounding like the local response is and has been able to address what’s been a very devastating afternoon and evening in southwest Michigan,” Clayton Cummins, a spokesperson for Michigan emergency services and police, told Reuters.

(Reporting by Maria Tsvetkova; Editing by Donna Bryson and Tom Hogue)