Michigan Tornado Update: More Severe Weather Threatens Same Communities Tuesday Night
Southwest Michigan is bracing for a second round of severe weather Tuesday evening, March 10 — just four days after EF1 through EF3 tornadoes killed four people and injured at least a dozen more across the same communities still deep in cleanup and recovery mode.
New Severe Weather Alert: Tornadoes Possible Again Tuesday Night in Same Counties
Another round of severe weather is likely for West Michigan Tuesday evening into early Wednesday. The prime time for severe weather will be between 8:00 p.m. Tuesday and 4:00 a.m. Wednesday. All threats will be present, including damaging winds, large hail, and tornadoes. A Level 2 slight risk is in place for counties along and south of I-96, with the highest tornado threat occurring south of I-94 — unfortunately the same counties that were devastated on Friday.
Forecasters are urging residents with damaged or destroyed homes to make shelter arrangements before evening.
NWS Finalizes Tornado Ratings: Four Confirmed Paths Across Four Counties
The National Weather Service has now finalized the paths and ratings for all four Michigan tornadoes from March 6. The EF-1 in Edwardsburg peaked at 95 mph winds with a path 13.4 miles long and 350 yards wide. The EF-2 in Three Rivers peaked at 130 mph with a path 10.75 miles long and 450 yards wide, injuring 10 people. The tornado hit a Menards, taking the roof and collapsing an exterior wall, and also destroyed a section of a U-Haul facility.
The EF-3 in Union City peaked at 160 mph. A mobile home was thrown 100 yards with an occupant inside — that person was one of three fatalities from the Union City tornado.
Mobile Home Thrown 100 Yards Among the Most Harrowing Details Emerging
The worst damage in the Union City EF-3 was concentrated around Prairie Rose Lane and Tuttle Road on the northwest shore of Union Lake. At its peak, the tornado was a multiple-vortex storm — meaning two or more sub-vortices rotating around a common center simultaneously — and even lifted ice off the lake surface as it tracked along the shoreline.
In Union City, witnesses described hearing freight-train noises as debris filled the air. One resident said the storm became "really massive, really fast" as she watched it develop from her deck. By evening, the storm system was racing northeast at nearly 40 mph, triggering tornado warnings in mid-Michigan and alerts in Metro Detroit.
12-Year-Old Silas Anderson's Death Mourned by Edwardsburg Schools
The Cass County Sheriff's Office confirmed 12-year-old Silas Anderson was killed in the EF-1 tornado that struck Edwardsburg. The tornado destroyed an attached garage and damaged the front of the family's home on Conrad Road. Officials asked for privacy as the family grieves, and Edwardsburg Public Schools opened their intermediate school cafeteria for community members, families, and first responders needing food or a place to rest.
Governor Calls for Probe Into Why Weather Service Did Not Issue Tornado Watch
New details emerged Monday when Governor Whitmer's office called for a formal probe into why the National Weather Service did not issue a tornado watch ahead of Friday's outbreak — a significant failure given the scale and intensity of what followed.
Governor Whitmer has declared a state of emergency for Branch, Cass, and St. Joseph counties. The Salvation Army, the nonprofit Disaster Relief at Work, and Michigan State Police were going door-to-door Saturday and through the weekend with meals and cleaning supplies. Union City High School continues to serve as a resource center for displaced residents.
Anyone in the affected counties is urged to monitor National Weather Service alerts closely Tuesday evening and be prepared to shelter in a sturdy structure well before 8:00 p.m. ET.
