Four tornadoes tore through Michigan on Tuesday as tens of millions of people across the Central United States braced for severe storms, damaging hail, and powerful winds.
The National Weather Service issued a tornado watch for much of Indiana, western Ohio, and southern Michigan at 5 p.m., indicating conditions conducive to tornado formation. The weather service confirmed four tornadoes in Michigan, injuring at least one person and damaging several buildings.
"A few tornadoes are likely with a couple intense tornadoes possible," the Storm Prediction Center warned. The watch was set to remain in effect until 8:00 p.m. CDT.
Overall, much of the central and eastern United States remained at risk for severe thunderstorms on Tuesday from Texas to Wyoming and as far east as Pennsylvania and the Carolinas, according to the Weather Prediction Center. Over 13 million people in Indiana, Ohio, and Kentucky were at "enhanced risk" of experiencing storms capable of unleashing "very large hail" and strong tornadoes.
Scattered supercell thunderstorms were forecast to spread across southern and eastern Indiana into western Ohio into late Tuesday. Supercells are the least common type of thunderstorm and tend to produce severe weather, including damaging winds, large hail, and sometimes tornadoes.
In addition to Chicago and Indianapolis, other metro areas at the greatest risk for severe weather on Tuesday included Cincinnati, Columbus, and Louisville, the Storm Prediction Center said.
Tuesday's severe weather followed strong storms that battered the Plains region on Monday, spawning multiple tornadoes that killed at least one person, destroyed buildings, and knocked out power to thousands of households.
The threat of severe weather was forecast to continue across the Ohio Valley and mid-South regions on Wednesday, the Storm Prediction Center said. The violent weather outbreak has caused nearly 250 incidents of severe weather since Monday, including more than a dozen tornadoes and large hail, according to AccuWeather.
By 7 p.m., more than 50,000 customers were without electricity across the region that saw storms over the previous 24 hours, according to the database maintained by USA TODAY. This included nearly 31,000 customers in Michigan and roughly 7,000 each in Missouri and Oklahoma. Another 45,000 customers were without electricity in Colorado after winds as high as 80-90 mph on Monday. Windy conditions and lower humidity could also pose a risk for critical fire weather across southeast Colorado, the Texas/Oklahoma Panhandle region, and much of New Mexico.
Two school districts in northeastern Oklahoma, Bartlesville Public Schools and Barnsdall Public Schools, canceled classes on Tuesday, citing power outages and road closures. Both communities were ravaged by a powerful tornado on Monday night.
Oklahoma's governor, Kevin Stitt, planned to travel to Barnsdall on Tuesday afternoon to survey the damage to the small town. "Devastating images coming out of Barnsdall, OK, this morning," the governor posted on X. "First responders spent the night executing search and rescue operations. Resources are being directed to the area to aid in recovery. I will travel to Barnsdall later this afternoon. Hold them in your prayers!"
On Monday, at least 17 tornadoes were spotted across the Plains region, with the most damage occurring in Oklahoma where multiple people were injured and one person in Barnsdall, a small community about 40 miles north of Tulsa, was killed, KOTV reported.
The northeastern Oklahoma communities of Barnsdall and Bartlesville experienced a damaging tornado that caused injuries, with at least seven people injured in Barnsdall, CBS News Texas reported. Oklahoma Highway Patrol reported around 30 to 40 homes were damaged in the Barnsdall area, which was also hit by a tornado on April 1, according to the state's Department of Emergency Management. Officials also reported a natural gas leak in Barnsdall.
Crews from numerous jurisdictions responded to areas throughout northeast Oklahoma to assist with medical transport, traffic control, and search and rescue operations. Other counties reported flash flooding and damaged structures. Oklahoma was hit with tornadoes just last week that devastated some parts of the state, leaving at least four dead and 100 injured.
The weather service in Tulsa has a crew on the ground doing damage assessments along the track of the Barnsdall tornado and expects to have a report available later Tuesday or Wednesday.
Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer declared a state of emergency in four counties after a slew of tornadoes barreled through the southwestern part of the state and left a trail of damage in its wake.
"My heart goes out to all those impacted by tonight's severe weather in southwest Michigan," Whitmer said. "State and local emergency teams are on the ground and working together to assist Michiganders."
Two "large and extremely dangerous" tornadoes were confirmed in Michigan shortly after 6 p.m., the weather service said. One hit south of Kalamazoo near Portage, moving east, and the other was near Burlington, about 9 miles northwest of Coldwater moving northeast.
City officials said Tuesday evening that two tornadoes were believed to have touched down in Portage, causing severe damage to residential and commercial properties. The city said several people were displaced, multiple trees were down on roads, and there were reports of gas leaks.
A woman taking cover from the tornado in Portage was hit by debris as she got out of her car, and her leg was broken, according to the weather service. After the first tornado in Portage, a FedEx facility in the area collapsed.
"Our thoughts are with those affected by the tornado in Portage, Michigan, and we are grateful there were no serious injuries resulting from the damage to our facility at 6701 Portage Road," FedEx spokesperson Shannon Davis said in an email to USA TODAY. "We continue to assess the damage, and we are implementing contingency plans to lessen any potential impacts on service." Multiple places across the southwest Michigan county were damaged Tuesday, the site of another confirmed tornado.
"At the moment, we are focused on life safety missions using all available resources, then we will begin preliminary damage assessments," Bingaman said.
Seven structures, mostly homes, were damaged in Sherwood Township, Branch County Emergency Manager Tim Miner said, adding that there were no deaths or serious injuries.
The weather service also issued tornado watches for southeast Michigan counties but said the chance of tornadoes slamming that part of the state was unlikely.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has tracked 1,219 tornadoes in Michigan since 1950, killing 248 people and causing more than $1.2 billion in property damage. Eighteen twisters swept through the state in 2023 and caused two deaths, according to NOAA.
Tornadoes also hit other Plains states overnight. Several states in the Plains region were hit with tornadoes, including two each in Iowa, Kansas, and South Dakota, and one each in Missouri, Nebraska, and Tennessee, according to preliminary information from the Storm Prediction Center.
The storms developed Monday afternoon and through the evening after the National Weather Service Storm Prediction Center issued a series of dire warnings for severe weather in an area that stretched from Texas to the Dakotas.
While there's no guaranteed safety during a tornado, the weather service says there are things people can do to increase their chances of surviving a deadly tornado:
- Protect yourself from flying or falling debris, the single biggest life-threatening hazard.
- Seek shelter in the closest, safest interior or underground room.
- Avoid windows. Don't go to the windows or doors to look outside.
- Cover yourself with thick protective coverings