Suspected tornadoes kill 6 in Michigan, Oklahoma : NPR

Authorities were searching through debris and debris in southern Michigan on Saturday after a suspected tornado tore through the area and killed four people, including a 12-year-old boy, while the powerful storm was also blamed for two deaths in eastern Oklahoma.

First responders from multiple agencies were searching for possible victims and clearing roads in the Union Lake area near Union City, officials said. Pictures and videos posted on social media showed collapsed houses and fallen trees in the lakeside area.

The severe storms that began in northern Indiana spawned several tornadoes in southern Michigan on Friday, said National Weather Service meteorologist Lonnie Fisher, who sent teams to the area Saturday to assess damage and confirm tornadoes.

“Most likely there were three separate tornadoes, but we won’t know 100 percent for sure until they complete the survey,” Fisher said Saturday. He said the storms rapidly intensified in southern Michigan after hitting northern Indiana.

The threat of severe weather across the middle of the country continued Saturday, with the potential for severe storms from Texas and northeast to Ohio and parts of Pennsylvania and western New York.

According to the Branch County Sheriff’s Office, three people were killed and 12 were injured in the Union Lake area.

Lisa Piper stood on her back deck and took video of a terrifying sight as a funnel cloud formed on the other side of frozen Union Lake and then dropped toward the ground. Trees were torn from their roots and debris flew into the air.

“It’s lifting houses!” He said. As the destruction continued, she said: “Oh, my heart is beating fast. Oh, I hope they’re OK.”

About 50 miles (81 kilometers) southwest of Lake Union, the Cass County Sheriff’s Office said a 12-year-old boy died and several other people were injured during a possible tornado. Silas Anderson’s parents found him injured and administered first aid, but he later died at a hospital, Sheriff Clint Roach said in a Facebook post.

State officials said disaster relief workers were going door-to-door delivering food and cleaning supplies in the Union City and Three Rivers areas. Governor Gretchen Whitmer said she would declare a state of emergency in Branch, Cass and St. Joseph counties.

In Oklahoma, a tornado in Beggs, just south of Tulsa, was blamed for the deaths of two people at a home on Friday, the Okmulgee County Sheriff’s Office said. Two other people were taken to hospital.

The tornado cut a path of about 4 miles (6.4 kilometers) of damage in Ocmulgee County, including Beggs, about 30 miles (48 kilometers) south of Tulsa, said Jeff Moore, the county’s emergency manager. Large trees fell and electricity was lost.

Suspected tornadoes were also reported in northern parts of Tulsa, where a building on the Tulsa Tech Peoria campus was damaged.

Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt said Saturday that he has declared a state of emergency in several counties to free up aid and resources for affected areas.

The death in Oklahoma came a day after the storm killed a 47-year-old woman and her 13-year-old daughter in Fairview in the western part of the state. They were found dead in a vehicle, authorities said.

In a terrifying scene captured on video Thursday, first responders headed straight toward a storm near Fairview, where a flash of lightning illuminated a giant funnel that appeared to reach the ground. That storm, the first outbreak of severe weather at the height of spring hurricane season, was filmed by a camera mounted on the deputy’s car.

The National Weather Service said the threat of severe storms and flooding Saturday extends from the Great Lakes to Texas. A tornado watch that had been issued for a large portion of Arkansas and parts of Texas and Louisiana expired in the morning.

Spring storms occur near the beginning of what many call tornado season, which typically begins at different times in different parts of the US. Experts recommend taking some simple safety steps before a tornado hits, including having a weather radio and planning to seek shelter.

In parts of the southern US, this time of year is expected to bring extremely hot temperatures through the weekend due to weather patterns.