Severe weather ripped through our FOX 17 viewing area on Friday afternoon March 6. Hail, wind, heavy rain, and tornadoes were all reported with the most significant damage occurring across our southern counties. Tornado warnings were issued for at least three southern Michigan counties with three tornadoes confirmed by spotters, video, or photo evidence.
Here's what the National Weather Service from North Webster Indiana said in a statement:
On the afternoon of March 6th, 2026, a lone supercell developed in La Porte County, IN and tracked northeast into Lower Michigan. The supercell moved through Cass, St Joseph, and Branch counties. There were numerous reports called in to our office and videos posted on social media by storm chasers, broadcast media, trained spotters, and the public confirming tornado damage in Edwardsburg, Three Rivers, and Union City. The north side of Union Lake in Union City was one of the hardest hit areas with numerous homes taking on significant damage and trees sheared off. Several businesses in the city of Three Rivers also sustained notable damage. Unfortunately, there have been multiple confirmed fatalities and injuries. 3 fatalities have been confirmed in Branch County and 1 fatality occurred in Cass County; there were also 12 confirmed injuries in Union City (Branch County) and several others in the Edwardsburg area (Cass county).
Our southern counties that border Indiana are overseen by the National Weather Service in North Webster. They will be conducting damage surveys this weekend in order to determine what the EF rating is of each tornado. Considering there is significant structural damage in Three River and Union City, I would expect at least an EF2 rating. That would put wind speeds at 111 to 135 mph.
For the latest details on the weather in West Michigan, head to the FOX 17 Weather page.
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