At least eight people were killed and twelve were injured in tornadoes on Friday in the central United States, during an extreme weather episode that swept through several states from Texas to the Great Lakes, reported by U.S. authorities and media.
Four people died in Oklahoma (south), where the phenomenon gained strength between Thursday and Friday, and four others were killed in Michigan (north), in the Great Lakes region, over 1500 kilometers away. A mother and her daughter are among the four victims in Oklahoma, according to State Governor Kevin Stitt.
In Michigan, the local sheriff reported three deaths and twelve injuries caused by a tornado near Union City in the southern part of the state. About 80 kilometers to the west, another person was killed and “several injured” in Cass County, local authorities said, describing numerous fallen trees on roads and buildings.
In the neighboring Branch County, another tornado touched down near a lake in Union City, causing three deaths and twelve injuries, with three people transported to the hospital, according to Sheriff Frederick Blankenship, as reported by the New York Times.
“The devastation” after the tornadoes passed
A municipal deputy, Jennifer Nagel, described the situation as “absolutely catastrophic,” stating that the storms had “spread devastation” in neighborhoods near Union Lake, according to colleagues across the Atlantic. According to the local channel WTVB, these tornadoes particularly hit the areas of Union City and its surroundings.
Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer activated an emergency operations center on Friday evening to coordinate relief efforts in the southwest of the state due to these violent storms. These events are part of a series of storms that have affected over 50 million people, with strong winds, large hail, and heavy downpours. The death tolls are provisional and could change as rescue and evaluation operations continue.
