Staff Report
UNION CITY — Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has declared a state of emergency for three Michigan counties after multiple tornadoes on Friday killed four people and injured dozens more.
Whitmer officially declared the emergency Sunday for Branch, Cass and St. Joseph counties.
“Our entire state is wrapping its arms around Three Rivers, Union City, Edwardsburg, and everywhere in between,” Whitmer said in a social media post on Sunday. “Our hearts are with the families who lost loved ones and the Michiganders who were injured.”
The declaration authorizes the use of “all available” state resources to assist local response and recovery efforts. It also allows communities to request financial assistance from the state.
Among the fatalities was a 12-year-old boy, Silas Anderson, whose parents reported him missing soon after the storm struck before finding him. He was taken to a nearby hospital, where he later died, the Cass County Sheriff’s Office said.
A lone supercell moved through Cass, St Joseph, and Branch counties around 3:15 p.m. Friday.
A preliminary assessment by the National Weather Service determined three tornadoes:
- Edwardsburg (Cass County): EF-1 with max winds of 95 mph]
- Three Rivers (St. Joseph County): EF2 max with max Winds of 130 mph]
- Union City (Branch County): EF3 with max winds of 160 mph]
