A "large and extremely dangerous tornado" touched down multiple times in Three Rivers, Michigan, on March 6, causing significant damage, according to preliminary reports from the National Weather Service office in Northern Indiana.
The tornado popped up in a severe thunderstorm moving through the area. Storm chasers and emergency management staff in St. Joseph County reported to the weather service the tornado touched down multiple times before causing damage on the southwest side of Three Rivers just before 4 p.m. local time.
Local officials also reported to the weather service that a person had been trapped in debris and needed extrication between Niles and Edwardsburg in neighboring Cass County, Michigan. A tornado warning had been issued for portions of Cass and St. Joseph counties around 3:14 p.m. local time, and then continued at 3:52 p.m.
The storm that spawned the tornado was still showing organization and potential strengthening as it moved into Central Michigan, within the boundaries of the weather service region in Grand Rapids, the weather service reported. The weather service has warned additional severe storms may be possible through the evening of March 6 in the region.
Social media videos posted from in St. Joseph and Cass counties showed a section of roof being lifted off a Menards store in Three Rivers and debris being hurled around in the air.
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At 5 p.m., the St. Joseph County Sheriff's Officeshared a Facebook post asking"everyone to please stay away from the north end" of the county until further notice. "Emergency personnel are currently responding to an active situation in that area, and it is critical that our firefighters, law enforcement officers, EMS, and other emergency workers have clear access," the office stated.
The Three Rivers tornado is among several that have struck the United States since March 5.
In Oklahoma,a woman and her daughter diedwhen their van was caught by a tornado March 5. Weather service meteorologists were still surveying the damage from those storms on the afternoon of March 6.
Tornado warnings
Storm risk forecast for the afternoon of March 6
Tornado warning issued in Three Rivers
This warning was issued just after 3 p.m. on March 6. An update, at 3:52 p.m., warned of a "particularly dangerous situation" as a large and extremely dangerous tornado moved northeast over Three Rivers at 40 mph.
Dinah Voyles Pulver, a national correspondent for USA TODAY, writes about violent weather, climate change and other news. Reach her at dpulver@usatoday.com or @dinahvp on Bluesky or X or dinahvp.77 on Signal.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Tornado hits southern Michigan as severe weather moves through
