EF-3 tornado moved through Southwest Michigan city, National Weather Service says

An EF-3 tornado moved through Union City, Michigan, during Friday night’s severe storms in the southwest part of the state, according to the National Weather Service.

The federal agency said three people were killed and 12 others were injured in the Branch County twister, which had a wind speed of at least 165 mph — just 1 mph shy of an EF-4 classification on the Enhanced Fujita Scale.

Several homes in the area of Tuttle Road and Prairie Rose Lane were severely damaged by the twister, according to the agency.

Officials said Saturday that only a small portion of the tornado’s possible track has been assessed and that other details, including how far it went and how long it lasted, “will be released as they become available.”

The last EF-3 tornado that touched down in Michigan was in Gaylord in 2022.

A twister was reported in Three Rivers, Michigan, on Friday, though the National Weather Service hasn’t confirmed the report. Three Rivers is around 30 miles southwest of Union City.

Sheriff Clint Roach of Cass County, which is around 30 miles west of Three Rivers, said a 12-year-old boy, identified as Silas Anderson, was killed in Friday’s storms. 

Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer said Saturday on social media that she would be declaring a state of emergency for Branch, Cass and St. Joseph counties.

According to the Michigan State Police, the Salvation Army and the nonprofit Disaster Relief at Work were going door-to-door on Saturday with meals and cleaning supplies in Union City and Three Rivers.

Anyone who was impacted by Friday’s severe weather and needs resources is asked to call 211.