More noteworthy, farther north was Michigan, where four confirmed tornadoes tore through the state's southwestern communities, and four people lost their lives. That is extremely rare in Michigan and almost unheard of in March.

After the deadly tornadoes that struck Southwest Michigan on March 6, many people have been asking an important question: why wasn’t a tornado watch issued before the storms arrived?

Chris Henke looks at the remains of his house in the aftermath of a tornado in the neighborhood of Tuttle Park Drive in Union City on Saturday, March 7, 2026. Haenke was not at his house at the time. A school teacher in a nearby district, Haenke planned to retire and live at the lake full-time this year. (Devin Anderson-Torrez | MLive.com)

Concern is rising that the first major storm outbreak on the verge of spring could strike the nation’s heartland, putting millions of Americans from Texas to Iowa at risk of pot

Whitmer's office questioned whether the lack of a tornado watch alert could be attributed to funding cutbacks at the National Weather Service.

Nine years ago on March 6, 2017 at least a dozen tornadoes formed around the Kansas City metro. The strongest were in Oak Grove and Smithville.