At least six people were killed when tornadoes touched down Friday night in Michigan and Oklahoma. Photo courtesy of the Cass County Sheriff’s Office
Tornadoes that swept through Michigan and Oklahoma on Friday killed at least six people and injured several others, authorities said.
Sheriff Frederick Blankenship of Branch County, Mich., said the tornado that touched down in Union City, about 40 miles southeast of Kalamazoo, killed at least three people and injured 12 others, with three being hospitalized for their injuries.
Blankenship warned residents to expect power outages and interruptions to Internet and cellular networks.
Cass County Sheriff Clint Roach said a 12-year-old boy was killed and multiple other people were injured in Edwardsburg, Mich. Damage was also reported to multiple large structures, with some said to be entirely destroyed.
Jeffrey Moore, emergency manager for Okmulgee County, Okla., reported at least two people were killed by a tornado near Beggs, about 30 miles south of Tulsa.
Multiple injuries and damage to homes, buildings and trees were also reported in Three Rivers, a city in Michigan’s St. Joseph County, located about 25 miles from Union City. Videos captured in the city show debris flying through the air, and photos shared Saturday morning showed a trampoline stuck on power lines.
It was not yet clear Saturday whether a single tornado was responsible for the damage in Michigan or if there were multiple touchdowns.
Meteorologists said the Union City tornado appeared to have been caused by a nearby warm front.
