Tornadoes Kill 6 in Midwest, More Storms Loom

0:00On March 7, powerful storms spawning tornadoes claimed six lives across the Midwest on Friday, with four deaths in southern Michigan and two in. Eastern Oklahoma, homes were flattened, trees uprooted, and power lines not down in several spots, leaving wide paths of destruction from near Tulsa to areas close to the Indiana border. In Oklahoma's Okomogi County, just south of Tulsa, a tornado carved a four mile damage track through begs, killing two people in a home and injuring others. Up in Michigan, the National Weather Service confirmed at least one tornado near Union City, with possible others reported amid flying debris and roaring winds. Residents watched in horror as funnel clouds dropped down, one forming over frozen Union Lake and ripping trees from the ground. A local church in Union City saw part of its building hit, though its historic Grand Piano Escaped Arm. These events hit hard in Michigan, where tornadoes averaged just 15 a year, and far fewer

1:00than in states like Texas or Kansas. Governors in both states sprang into action, with Michigan's Gretchen Whitmer activating the emergency operation center for a full response. And Oklahoma's Kevin Stitt, offering prayers for those affected, emergency teams raced to clear roads and check properties amid widespread outages. For severe weather looms, Saturday from the Great Lakes to Texas, including tornado watches in Arkansas and flash flood risks elsewhere. As spring storm season ramps up, forecasters urge having a shelter plan ready, while unusually warm air pushes 80s into the Ohio Valley by the weekend.