UNION CITY, MI (WTVB) – The National Weather says it’s preliminary findings are that the deadly tornado that touched down near Union City Friday was an EF3 with estimated winds at 150 mph.
The storm significantly impacted the Union Lake area and Union City.
Dustin Norman with the National Weather Service identified severe structural damage, including homes that were completely leveled as key parts of their investigation.
Preliminary findings indicated the twister followed a path through Tuttle Road and Prairie Rose Lane, though a final path length is still being calculated as crews continue to assess the extensive debris fields.
Norman says this could go down as one of Michigan’s strongest tornados on record
The Branch County Sheriff’s Office reported three fatalities and 12 injuries Friday night and those figures remained unchanged on Saturday.
The Union City destruction was part of a larger severe weather outbreak in Southwest Michigan that claimed four lives in total and left more than a dozen others injured across Branch and Cass counties. One of the three who perished in the tornado near Union City has been identified as 65-year-old Penni Jo Guthrie of Union City.
Governor Gretchen Whitmer has activated the State Emergency Operations Center to coordinate recovery efforts, while residents are being urged to avoid hard-hit areas to allow emergency personnel and utility crews from Consumers Energy to safely clear roads and restore power.
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