STORY: Tornadoes and strong storms killed at least eight people and injured more than a dozen in southern Michigan on Friday (March 6), 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.

DESCRIPCIÓN DE IMÁGENES

SHOWS: THREE RIVERS, MICHIGAN, UNITED STATES (MARCH 7, 2026)(STRINGR.COM - Access all)

1. RUBBLE AND DEBRIS ON PARKING LOT IN FRONT OF STORE WITH DAMAGED FACADE

2. LOCALS ASSESSING TURNED-OVER VEHICLE

3. TARP ON DAMAGED TREE

4. DAMAGED TREE AND VEHICLE ON PARKING LOT

5. DAMAGED TREE

6. VARIOUS OF WORKERS STANDING ON DAMAGED ROOF

7. WORKERS NEAR DEBRIS

8. WORKER HOLDING POWER LINE

9. (SOUNDBITE)(English) THREE RIVERS RESIDENT, RENEE DUKES, SAYING:

"I grabbed the dog and ran into the closet and held on to the doorknob. Everything was shaking. And then it sounded like a train was driving through the house and you could hear the wind just whirling and whirling and you could hear stuff hitting stuff. You know, just it was devastating, but it didn't last very long.”

10. DAMAGED VEHICLES AND DEBRIS

11. WORKER ASSESSING POWER LINE

12. PERSON ON TOP OF DAMAGED ROOF

13. WORKERS ASSESSING STREET

14. (SOUNDBITE)(English) THREE RIVERS RESIDENT, CANDY CISMER, SAYING:

"Pretty devastating seeing how the community's been hit. It makes me worry about the community and the work we need to do for them."

15. VARIOUS OF DEBRIS

16. (SOUNDBITE)(English) THREE RIVERS RESIDENT, CANDY CISMER, SAYING:

"Roofs torn off, trees down. Styrofoam is all over the community. I have no idea where that came from. Just there's tons of trash going down our rivers, a lot of destruction."

17. PERSON PULLING DEBRIS

18. LOCALS STANDING ON DAMAGED ROOF

19. VARIOUS OF DAMAGED VEHICLES

20. LOCALS ASSESSING DAMAGE

21. UPROOTED TREE ON FIELD

22. CHILDRENS’ TOY