Severe Storms put Michigan tornado warning questions under scrutiny
Sunday at 12: 00p. m. ET, severe storms remained at the center of a growing focus in Michigan after a tornado struck Branch County on Friday, March 6, 2026, killing three people and leaving a private road littered with debris. The immediate push now is twofold: recovery crews are still clearing access and restoring power, while Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s office has called for a probe into why a tornado watch was not issued.
Cleanup continued along Tuttle Road near Union City as residents who were allowed back to the area sorted through damage and salvaged what they could. Power crews also kept the entrance closed at times to repair lines, a step that slowed the return for some residents but marked the start of longer-term restoration work.
Branch County Sheriff’s Office names the three tornado victims
The Branch County Sheriff’s Office identified three people who died when the tornado hit Prairie Rose Lane: William Andrew Akers, 63; Keri Ann Johnson, 54; and Penni Jo Guthrie, 65. The deaths were tied to the storm’s impact on Friday, March 6, 2026, as the destruction spread across nearby private roads and neighborhoods.
By Sunday, residents who could return to the private road north of Union Lake were sifting through debris. Downed trees made it difficult to reach the eastern end of the road, and access issues were compounded by ongoing utility repairs that required periodic closures.
Severe Storms damage assessments begin as debris removal accelerates
Damage details were still coming into focus as Branch County Emergency Management prepared a preliminary assessment that could arrive late this week. On Prairie Rose Lane, the scale of destruction was stark: of 21 dwellings on the tax rolls, only two partially remained.
On the private dirt lane west of Prairie Rose Lane, the damage was described as scattered across 57 dwellings listed on the tax rolls. Almost all suffered at least minor damage, with at least two destroyed and others sustaining serious damage. A temporary road was created to help dump trucks remove the cut wood and brush piled up after work on Saturday, hauling the debris about half a mile north to a farm field for burning.
By noon Sunday, the debris pile at the farm field had grown to more than 15 feet high and 20 yards long. Municipal utilities operating with mutual aid were waiting for additional debris to be cleared before starting work down the mile-long dirt road.
Whitmer’s office calls for probe into tornado watch decision
Even as severe storms recovery work continued in Branch County, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s office called for an investigation into why the weather service did not issue a tornado watch. The request adds a new layer to the response, shifting part of the public focus from immediate cleanup to the sequence of warning decisions leading up to the tornado.
Residents and volunteers also described a rapid community response after the storm. Greg Moore, a Consumers Energy Senior Community Affairs Manager, said he rushed in on Saturday to help family members tied to land the Tuttles have owned for six generations. Moore said multiple homes within a few hundred yards were damaged, including relatives living within about 300 yards of one another.
Moore described both the surge of volunteer help and the emotional weight that often follows once the urgent work slows. For now, crews continue to clear access, repair lines, and sort debris, while officials prepare the next steps in assessing the damage and reviewing the warning timeline.
Branch County Emergency Management’s preliminary damage assessment could come late this week, and utility work is expected to continue as crews gain fuller access down the mile-long dirt road. If debris removal continues at the current pace, more municipal utility teams waiting on mutual aid may be able to start work further into the affected area later this week.
