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Deadly storms carved a destructive path across the Midwest and southern Plains, leaving communities reeling after tornadoes damage in Michigan and Oklahoma claimed lives and left neighborhoods shattered.

Officials confirmed at least six people were killed and more than a dozen injured Friday as powerful tornadoes ripped through towns, uprooting trees, tearing roofs from homes, and plunging hundreds into darkness as power lines collapsed.

Emergency crews across both states are still combing through damaged areas, searching for survivors and assessing the scale of destruction.

Deadly Tornado Strikes Southern Michigan

In southern Michigan, authorities reported the storm’s fiercest impact near Union City in Branch County.

According to the Branch County sheriff’s department, three people were killed and 12 others injured after a tornado tore through the area Friday.

Officials warned that power outages and road closures could persist through the weekend as emergency teams work to restore services and clear debris.

Roughly 50 miles away, in Cass County, authorities confirmed another fatality along with several additional injuries linked to the same severe weather system.

Local officials described widespread structural damage.

“Multiple large structures — including homes and pole barns — sustained damage ranging from major structural impacts to complete destruction,” authorities said in a statement.

Hundreds of residents across the region were reported to be without electricity.

Eyewitness Accounts Capture Storm’s Fury

Videos circulating on social media captured the terrifying power of the tornado as it roared through Union City, its rotating column of wind and debris resembling a dark funnel slicing across the landscape.

Footage from Three Rivers showed clouds of dust and debris swirling violently across a parking lot as the storm surged through the area.

One resident described the moment the tornado appeared on the horizon.

“We looked out the window and saw the tornado go right down the strip,” the Three Rivers resident told CBS News, a U.S. partner of the BBC.

“That’s where my daughter is, where my parents are, where I live down the road,” the resident said, adding that they felt grateful their family survived the storm.

Emergency Declared as Recovery Begins

In response to the devastation, Gretchen Whitmer, governor of Michigan, declared a state of emergency for Branch, Cass, and St. Joseph County.

“We are working with emergency teams to monitor the situation and coordinate resources for those impacted,” Whitmer said.

“My heart is with the families who lost loved ones and the Michiganders who were injured yesterday.”

Emergency management teams said local responders are continuing search operations while beginning the long process of cleanup and recovery.

Tornado Also Claims Lives in Oklahoma

The storm system did not stop at Michigan’s borders.

In Oklahoma, officials said a tornado carved a four-mile (6.4 km) path of destruction across Okmulgee County, about 30 miles south of Tulsa.

Emergency manager Jeff Moore said responders were racing to clear roads and reach affected areas.

“We’re just getting everywhere as fast as we can, clearing roads as fast as we can,” Moore said.

Authorities confirmed two people were killed in the town of Beggs, according to the Okmulgee County sheriff’s office.

Statewide Emergency Declared in Oklahoma

Following the storm’s destruction, Kevin Stitt, governor of Oklahoma, declared a state of emergency covering multiple counties.

The order includes:

• Alfalfa County

• Creek County

• Grant County

• Major County

• Okmulgee County

• Rogers County

• Tulsa County

• Wagoner County

The declaration aims to ensure communities receive the resources and assistance needed after the storms.

Severe Weather Threat Continues

Meteorologists from the National Weather Service warned that the volatile weather pattern may continue into the weekend.

The agency cautioned that severe thunderstorms and flash flooding remain possible across parts of the Great Plains and as far south as Texas.

For residents in the affected regions, the storms arrived like a sudden hammer blow from the sky — swift, violent, and devastating — leaving communities now focused on recovery and rebuilding.