Three people are dead and at least 12 injured after a massive tornado ripped through Union City, Michigan on Friday evening.
Residents captured video of the tornado as it moved through the small community, showing houses and debris being tossed around like they weighed nothing. The footage spread across social media late Friday, revealing the sheer power of the storm.
This is the best perspective I’ve seen of the Union City, Michigan tornado. Good lord, it just tore up everything in its path, wouldn’t be surprised if this was intense (EF3+).
Video taken by Lisa Nicola on Facebook: https://t.co/hFKLky9Cmq pic.twitter.com/zPTvFNP0h8
— Nick Krasznavolgyi (@NickKrasz_Wx) March 6, 2026
Sheriff Fred Blankenship told local radio station WTVB that people need to stay away from the affected areas. Emergency crews are working through the damage, and he’s warning residents to expect power outages and communication problems – especially since severe weather kept rolling through into Saturday morning.
The tornado completely tore the roofs off several homes and businesses. Even a Menards home improvement store wasn’t spared.
I just drove through Three Rivers, Michigan after the tornado. Lots and lots of BIG trees down. My wife works at the hospital and it got hit hard. No one was hurt luckily. pic.twitter.com/Z6ublhfvZd
— Donnie Detroit (@DonnieDetroit19) March 6, 2026
According to the Washington Post, the damage suggests wind speeds may have hit anywhere from 145 to 170 miles per hour. That would put it somewhere between an EF3 and EF4 on the Enhanced Fujita Scale, which meteorologists use to rate tornado intensity based on the damage they cause.
The Enhanced Fujita Scale goes from EF0 (weakest) to EF5 (most violent); an EF3 rating means severe damage with well-built homes suffering major destruction, while EF4 tornadoes can level even sturdy structures.
Blankenship’s asking the public to give first responders room to work safely. Power companies are already on scene, but restoring electricity and communications infrastructure could take days given the extent of the destruction.