Michigan tornado that killed 3 is rated EF-3

The tornado that killed 3 people and injured 12 others in southern Michigan has been preliminary rated EF-3, according to the National Weather Service (NWS). The agency said the tornado near Union Lake and Union City had estimated peak winds of 150 mph.

The rating was announced Saturday as survey crews continued assessing damage in Branch County, along Michigan’s border with Indiana. Union City is a small community in southern Michigan about 100 miles west-southwest of Detroit and near the Indiana and Ohio state lines.

The NWS office in Northern Indiana said severe damage was found near Tuttle Road and Prairie Rose Lane, next to Union Lake, where several homes were heavily damaged or destroyed. Based on the initial structural assessment, the agency said the tornado was at least EF-3 strength.

Officials said only a small portion of the possible track has been assessed so far, and the tornado’s path length, maximum width and exact start and end times have not yet been determined. The Weather Service said access to some locations has been limited by damage and ongoing operations.

An aerial image from the area showed a wide swath of destruction along a lake, with entire homes reduced to debris.

MLive reported that the NWS is also investigating possible tornado damage in Edwardsburg and in Three Rivers, where buildings sustained widespread structural damage.

According to MLive, it was Michigan’s deadliest tornado outbreak since 1980. The NWS said additional details will be released as the damage survey continues.