Overview
- National Weather Service surveys confirm four tornadoes in southwest Michigan on March 6, with preliminary ratings from EF‑0 to EF‑3, including an EF‑3 in Union City with estimated 160 mph winds.
- Authorities report at least four deaths and more than 20 injuries across communities including Union City, Edwardsburg and Three Rivers.
- The Storm Prediction Center said it did not issue a tornado watch because the storms were extremely isolated and difficult to anticipate, while local offices issued multiple tornado warnings as the supercell evolved.
- Gov. Gretchen Whitmer declared emergencies for Branch, Cass and St. Joseph counties and surveyed damage as state resources were mobilized for recovery.
- Whitmer’s office is seeking a federal investigation into the absence of a watch and whether last year’s federal staffing cuts at the NWS played any role, a link that remains unproven as policy reviews proceed.