At least eight people have been killed after a series of monster tornadoes ripped through the heartland of the US with forecasters warning the deadly storms are not over yet.
The twisters began Thursday and were part of a volatile system stretching from the southern Plains all the way to the Great Lakes which wreaked havoc across multiple states.
And with 70 million Americans are currently under alert for some form of extreme weather heading into the weekend there are fears of more devastation to come.
Among the victims so far are a teacher and her 13-year-old daughter who were killed in Fairview, Oklahoma after their car was sucked into the destructive winds.
A further two people were confirmed dead on Friday in the city of Beggs, 175 miles away. Eyewitnesses shared images showing multi-vortex twisters barreling through the region.
Meanwhile four people were killed in southwestern Michigan as powerful tornadoes shredded homes, ripped roofs into the sky and wrapped debris around power lines in scenes of widespread devastation.
Three deaths were confirmed in Branch County where a tornado dubbed the ‘Godzilla of twisters’ by observers tore through the Union Lake area near Union City.
A fourth person was confirmed dead after a tornado hit in the Edwardsburg area, according to Cass County Sheriff Clint Roach.
The storm in western Oklahoma lifted debris and dirt into the air. Tornado warnings were issued in surrounding states
Devastation can be seen all around after a tornado touched down in Oklahoma killing four
Damage is seen to power lines and traffic signals after a tornado in Three Rivers, Michigan
The storm could be seen whipping up waves and tearing through trees as it ran along the lake’s shoreline. Twelve others were injured as emergency crews raced through mangled streets and splintered homes.
‘Our thoughts are with those who have lost family, friends, and property during this incident,’ the Sheriff’s Office said in a statement.
Damage surveys showed destruction with large homes and barns suffered severe structural damage, with some completely destroyed.
Trees were toppled across roadways and buildings, complicating rescue operations, and more than 500 customers lost power, according to Midwest Energy & Communications.
Cass County Board Chair Jeremiah Jones declared a local state of emergency, saying local resources were stretched to their limits and outside assistance could be needed.
New images from Union City, Michigan revealed entire structures reduced to rubble with massive trees snapped like twigs.
Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer activated the state’s Emergency Operations Center.
‘Tonight, I am activating our State Emergency Operations Center to coordinate an all-hands-on-deck response to severe weather in southwestern Michigan,’ Whitmer said in a statement.
A tornado struck the Union Lake area Friday afternoon in Michigan, leaving three people dead and twelve others injured
Storms and tornado warnings were also issued in Three Rivers, Michigan, where the damage from the intense winds could be seen around town
Drone footage from the area around Union Lake, Michigan captured the devastation left by the storm, as well as the emergency vehicles responding to the havoc
Massive damage and a collapsed structure was seen at the Menard’s store in Three Rivers after a severe storm
In Tulsa, Mayor Monroe Nichols said there were no injuries reported despite localized damage. He can be seen reviewing the damage
At one point, a confirmed tornado warning was issued just three miles north of Tulsa, Oklahoma, a city of more than 400,000 residents. Pictured, damage in the Tulsa area is seen
Levi Stokes and his grandmother sit in their car at Menards, after being in the store when a tornado struck the store in Three Rivers
Damage is seen to vehicles is seen following the Michigan tornado
‘By taking this action, we can ensure the state can monitor and respond to local requests.’
The deadly twisters were fueled by record-challenging warmth surging northward.
Springlike temperatures arrived suddenly and climbed into the 70s and 80s across large parts of the Plains and Midwest, running 20 to 30 degrees above seasonal norms.
Meteorologists said the unseasonable heat, pulled north by a strengthening storm system, collided with cooler Canadian air creating the explosive atmospheric conditions.
A tornado warning was issued just three miles north of Tulsa, Oklahoma, a city of more than 400,000 residents.
More than 6,000 customers were left without power in Tulsa County as emergency crews responded to roof damage, downed trees and fallen power lines.
Mayor Monroe Nichols said there were no injuries reported despite localized damage.
‘Took a preliminary tour of some of the damage tonight in North Tulsa after a tornado moved through the area and caused localized impacts,’ Nichols said in an online post.
Jodie Owens, 47, and her daughter Lexi Owens, 13, were found dead inside a vehicle in Major County after a tornado struck western Oklahoma
Video captured by a first responder near Fairview showed lightning illuminating a large funnel cloud appearing to extend toward the ground
The First Congregational Church in Union City, Michigan, also experienced damage. City officials have urged locals to not travel unnecessarily
In total, three tornadoes were reported in the Union City and Three Rivers area. At least four people died
Another view of the devastated home improvement store after being struck by the tornado
The frontage of a building appears to have collapsed as a result of the storn
Ashley Steel hugs a coworker after being stuck in her car and afraid for her life during a tornado in Three Rivers, Michigan on Friday
Damage is seen to Menards, a big-box home improvement retail chain, after a reported tornado in Three Rivers
The storm appeared Thursday, but meteorologists warned Friday could see the worst weather
‘While we’re grateful there are no reports of injuries in Tulsa at this time, our thoughts are with those across Northeast Oklahoma who experienced more severe impacts from tonight’s storms.’
Elsewhere in Oklahoma, the toll was far more severe.
The Okmulgee County Sheriff’s Office confirmed two deaths after violent storms tore through central parts of the state. Authorities have not yet released further details.
And in western Oklahoma, a devastating tragedy unfolded when a powerful tornado lifted a vehicle into the air, killing a mother her daughter who were traveling inside.
Jodie Owens, 47, and her 13-year-old daughter Lexi were found dead late on Thursday night inside their van near a highway intersection outside Fairview in Major County, authorities said. Officials believe the crash was caused by the tornado.
Family members said Owens was on the phone urging her children at home to take cover when the storm struck.
‘They’re amazing people, and anyone who knows them will be devastated by this news,’ her brother Justin Zonts told KOKH.
‘I feel like I’m watching a movie. It feels like I’ve just watched a movie. I don’t believe it’s real still,’ he said.
Zonts said his sister saw the storm building as she drove home.
The mother and daughter were located near a highway intersection outside the town of Fairview late on Thursday night
The storm which killed the mother and daughter was so large and lightning so bright that the entire night sky could be seen illuminated
More than a dozen injuries have also been reported in Michigan, according to officials around the state. THis picture was taken in the Union City area
Union City officials said the storm caused significant damage that emergency responders were already working to clear
Astate of emergency was declared on Friday around 6pm following tornadoes and strong, damaging winds
Damage is seen to traffic signals following the storm
A construction worker leaves a damaged Holiday Inn
Damage is seen to the car Ashley Steel was stuck in as the tornado hit Applebees restaurant
A Marshalls sign sits nearly a mile away from the store alongside other damage after the tornado in Three Rivers, Michigan
Patrons stand outside and view damage to a Holiday Inn after the powerful tornado struck
‘She could see a storm was coming,’ he said. ‘She called her children who were still at home to say, ‘Hey you need to get into a cellar’. That’s actually when she got hit.
‘She was on the phone with her daughter, who heard her mom and sisters’ last cry before the line went dead.’
Owens’ husband alerted authorities and organized a search.
‘No father, no sister, no brother should have to go through this, and her children should not have to go through this,’ Zonts said.
Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt addressed the mounting devastation.
‘Severe weather struck Major County last night and tragically claimed the lives of a mother and daughter,’ Stitt said.
‘I am praying for the family as they grieve this tragic loss, as well as all those impacted by the storms.’
Forecasters warned the threat was far from over.
Areas across the Southern Plains and Midwest remained under tornado watches overnight as storms capable of producing tornadoes, destructive winds and large hail tracked east.
Around 68 million Americans were under some form of severe weather alert, with Kansas City, Davenport and Fort Smith among cities still under tornado watch into Saturday morning.
Meteorologists warned that nighttime storms pose a heightened level of danger as visibility drops making tornadoes hard to see, while people can sometimes sleep through alerts.
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