At least six dead as tornadoes rip through Michigan and Oklahoma communities

At least six people were dead and well over a dozen injured after a line of tornadoes tore through communities in Michigan and Oklahoma, leaving flattened buildings, people trapped under debris and emergency teams beginning formal damage surveys.

In southwest Michigan, Branch County officials reported heavy damage around Union Lake and Union City, saying three people were killed and 12 were injured after what county authorities described as a large tornado. Video from a Union City resident captured a rotating column of air lofting large pieces of debris across the lake; the homeowner can be heard saying, "It’s lifting houses," followed by, "Oh my heart is pounding," and "Oh, I hope they’re OK." Local officials said portions of a home improvement store lost its roof and a storage building was sent airborne; at least one partial building collapse left people trapped under rubble. Michigan activated its Emergency Operations Center as response crews moved into the hardest hit southwest counties and residents were warned to avoid roads littered with downed trees and power lines.

In Oklahoma, National Weather Service teams based in Norman began canvassing damage from storms that struck the state the previous night. NWS survey crews have preliminarily rated three tornadoes and are investigating a suspected fourth touchdown in Grant County that crews had not yet reached. "As of right now, we’re still investigating that," said Ryan Bunker of the NWS Norman office about Thursday night’s reports, as teams prepared to assign final ratings and trace storm paths.

Storm-chaser footage showed a tornado on the ground near Bristow, Oklahoma, while radar and official warnings flagged the Tulsa metro area as at risk during the outbreak. Meteorologist Jonathan Belles described a broad line of severe weather moving north: "Farther north, we're starting to see a sturdier line of thunderstorms producing strong gusts in Michigan, Indiana and Illinois." He also noted localized warnings in Oklahoma towns, saying, "Last night, Wakita, Oklahoma was nearly hit by a tornado. Tonight, Sapulpa, Oklahoma is under a tornado warning."

The system stretched from north Texas into Wisconsin and produced hail reported as large as tennis balls, damaging straight-line winds and multiple tornadoes. The Storm Prediction Center estimated more than 7 million people were in the highest-risk zone that included Kansas City, Tulsa and Omaha, while nearly 25 million were in a slightly lesser risk area encompassing Dallas, Oklahoma City and Milwaukee.

State and local officials cautioned that initial tallies could change as NWS teams complete on-the-ground surveys and as county coroners and emergency managers reconcile reports. For now, search-and-rescue teams continued clearing homes and checking reports of people trapped in debris in Michigan, while Oklahoma crews prioritized access to storm sites and safety advisories for communities downwind of damaged structures.

The Michigan and Oklahoma fatalities are part of a wider weekend outbreak of severe weather across the central and southern United States, which officials have said killed scores of people and destroyed large numbers of homes in other states. Authorities in the affected counties urged residents to heed shelter warnings, check on neighbors, and await official confirmations of casualties and tornado ratings as damage surveys proceed.