A quickly developing tornado touched down multiple times in Three Rivers, Michigan, on March 6, causing significant damage and trapping at least one person in debris, 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 that the tornado touched down multiple times before causing damage on the southwest side of Three Rivers just before 4 p.m. local time.
A tornado warning had been issued for portions of Cass and St. Joseph counties at 3:14 p.m. local time.
The weather service has warned additional severe storms may be possible through the evening of March 6 in the region. 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.
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Local officials also reported to the weather service that a tornado between Niles and Edwardsburg in nearby Cass County, Michigan, had resulted in a person being trapped and needing extrication.
The 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.
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