Tornadoes kill four, injure more than a dozen in rural Michigan
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A fallen tree rests again a Sheriff's vehicle outside a hospital following storms and tornado warnings in Three Rivers, Michigan, on March 6.
PHOTO: REUTERS
NEW YORK – Tornadoes and strong storms killed at least four people and injured more than a dozen in southern Michigan on March 6, destroying multiple homes and leaving hundreds of residents without power, the local authorities said.
Soon after the National Weather Service issued tornado warnings for the area on March 6, 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 the 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, the local officials said.
Damage is seen at a Menards store following storms and tornado warnings in Three Rivers, Michigan, on March 6.
PHOTO: REUTERS
“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 post 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 fulfil 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,” Mr Clayton Cummins, a spokesman for Michigan emergency services and police, told Reuters. REUTERS
