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By Anna Skinner
Associate News Editor
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More than 25,000 people were ordered to "take cover now" as a severe thunderstorm capable of producing a tornado tore through southwestern Michigan on Friday afternoon.
Tornado warnings can materialize within minutes as fast‑forming storms strengthen and begin rotating, leaving communities with little time to react. Because these systems can shift direction or intensify without notice, officials urge residents to have multiple ways to receive alerts, move to an interior room or basement immediately when a warning is issued, and avoid windows or vehicles. Quick action, they stress, is often the difference between safety and serious risk when a tornado forms with virtually no lead time.
"TAKE COVER NOW! Move to a basement or an interior room on the lowest floor of a sturdy building. Avoid windows. If you are outdoors, in a mobile home, or in a vehicle, move to the closest substantial shelter and protect yourself from flying debris," the National Weather Service (NWS) office in northern Indiana said in the warning.
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Tornado Warning Issued in Michigan: What We Know
An emergency manager in the area reported a possible touchdown between Niles and Edwardsburg in Cass County, NWS meteorologist Megan Dodson told Newsweek, but she stressed that the information is "preliminary." Damage was reported near Niles, she said.
In Edwardsburg, near the Indiana border, officials later reported downed trees and several homes that had been heavily damaged and warned residents to avoid the area. In St. Joseph County, about 34 miles northeast of Edwardsburg, the sheriff's office told residents to “seek shelter immediately” following reports of an unconfirmed tornado, a severe thunderstorm watch and possible winds more than 60 mph.
NewsWire shared a video recorded by Lindsey Whitaker that depicted strong winds ripping a roof from a building in Three Rivers, Michigan.
"Roof blown off as tornado moves through Three Rivers, Michigan; reports of significant damage," the post said.
Dodson added that it's a little early in the season to issue a tornado warning for this area, although the region does typically see its first event in March.
NWS Northern Indiana issued the tornado warning at 3:14 p.m. Eastern time after weather radar indicated a tornado. The warning is currently in effect for central Cass County and northwestern St. Joseph County, both in southwestern Michigan. The warning will remain in effect until 3:45 p.m. ET, although it's possible more warnings will be issued as the storm progresses.
"At 314 PM EST, a severe thunderstorm capable of producing a tornado was located near Cassopolis, or 8 miles northwest of Simonton Lake, moving northeast at 35 mph," the warning said, adding that hazards included a tornado and "quarter size hail" up to 1 inch.
"Radar indicated rotation," the warning said. "Flying debris will be dangerous to those caught without shelter. Mobile homes will be damaged or destroyed. Damage to roofs, windows, and vehicles will occur. Tree damage is likely."
Other locations impacted by this tornadic thunderstorm include Vandalia, Moore Park, Dailey, La Grange, Paradise Lake, Calvin Center, Juno Lake, Donnell Lake, Penn and Diamond Lake.
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How Do Tornadoes Form?
Tornadoes form when powerful thunderstorms develop strong, persistent rotation, usually where warm, humid air near the ground collides with cooler, drier air above, creating instability and wind shear that causes air to spin horizontally.
As the storm intensifies, rising air tilts this rotating column vertically, tightening it into a rapidly spinning funnel that can drop from the storm’s base and extend to the ground. Once connected, the vortex becomes a tornado capable of producing destructive winds, with its strength depending on how much energy the storm can pull in.
Tornado Tracking: Where They Have Touched Down in Past 24 Hours
Numerous tornado reports have been made in Kansas, Oklahoma, and Texas over the past 24 hours, according to storm damage reports from USA Today.
Mother, Daughter Killed in Oklahoma Tornado: What We Know
A mother and daughter—47‑year‑old Jodie Owens and her 13‑year‑old daughter, Lexi—were killed in northwest Oklahoma after a tornado struck their vehicle on Thursday night as severe storms swept across the Midwest, The Weather Channel reported. Authorities said their van was hit near State Highway 60 and 243. Owens was a mother of eight children, and a family member noted that Owens had been on the phone urging her other children to take cover when the tornado suddenly overtook her car.
A GoFundMe for the family has raised more than $48,000.
Tornado Watches in Oklahoma, Texas, Kansas, Nebraska, Iowa, Missouri
On Friday afternoon, NWS offices issued tornado watches across dozens of counties in eastern Oklahoma and northeastern Texas.
Oklahoma counties included in the warning are: Adair, Atoka, Bryan, Canadian, Carter, Cherokee, Choctaw, Cleveland, Coal, Cotton, Craig, Creek, Delaware, Garvin, Grady, Haskell, Hughes, Jefferson, Johnston, Kay, Latimer, Le Flore, Lincoln, Logan, Love, Marshall, Mayes, McClain, McCurtain, McIntosh, Murray, Muskogee, Noble, Nowata, Okfuskee, Oklahoma, Okmulgee, Osage, Ottawa, Pawnee, Payne, Pittsburg, Pontotoc, Pottawatomie, Pushmataha, Rogers, Seminole, Sequoyah, Stephens, Tulsa, Wagoner and Washington.
Texas counties included in the warning are: Archer, Clay, Collin, Cooke, Dallas, Delta, Denton, Fannin, Franklin, Grayson, Hopkins, Hunt, Jack, Lamar, Montague, Palo, Pinto, Parker, Red River, Rockwall, Stephens, Tarrant, Titus, Wichita, Wise and Young.
Shortly after, numerous other NWS offices issued tornado watches for other parts of the central U.S.
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In Kansas, counties under a tornado watch as of 4:40 p.m. ET: Atchison, Barton, Brown, Clay, Cloud, Dickinson, Doniphan, Ellsworth, Geary, Jackson, Lincoln, Marshall, McPherson, Mitchell, Nemaha, Ottawa, Pawnee, Pottawatomie, Republic, Rice, Riley, Rush, Russell, Saline, Stafford and Washington.
In Nebraska, Cass, Gage, Jefferson, Johnson, Lancaster, Nemaha, Otoe, Pawnee and Richardson counties were under the tornado watch.
In Missouri, the tornado watch was in effect for Andrew, Atchison, Gentry, Harrison, Holt, Nodaway and Worth counties.
In Iowa, impacted counties include Adair, Adams, Audubon, Boone, Calhoun, Carroll, Cass, Clarke, Dallas, Decatur, Fremont, Greene, Guthrie, Hamilton, Madison, Mills, Montgomery, Page, Polk, Pottawattamie, Ringgold, Shelby, Story, Taylor, Union, Warren and Webster.
All tornado watches are in effect until 10 p.m. CT on Friday. Severe thunderstorm warnings also are in effect for southern Oklahoma and Michigan.
This is not an all-encompassing list, and people residing in the region should monitor their local weather forecast offices for updates.
Update 3/6/26, 4:08 p.m. ET: This article was updated with additional information.
Update 3/6/26, 4:44 p.m. ET: This article was updated with additional information.
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