KALAMAZOO, Mich. — This past weekend, a powerful storm swept through the region, tragically causing a tree to fall on a van in Michigan, resulting in the deaths of three children. Concurrently, the storm was responsible for the death of an 84-year-old man involved in an Amish buggy accident in Indiana.
As of Monday, rapidly shifting and hazardous weather continued to impact the Southeastern United States. Over the weekend, freezing rain and strong winds caused trees and power lines to collapse, leading to massive power outages. While efforts to restore electricity in Michigan are ongoing, approximately 276,000 homes remained without power by Monday afternoon. Outages in Indiana and Wisconsin were reduced to around 80,000.
The victims in Kalamazoo County included a 2-year-old girl, her 4-year-old brother, and their 11-year-old cousin. Three other individuals in the vehicle were injured in the incident, which occurred about 130 miles west of Detroit on Sunday. Sheriff Richard Fuller explained that the unfortunate family had no means to evade the disaster, as the massive tree impacted the passenger area where the children were seated. The tree was so large it extended across two lanes of traffic, he added. A severe thunderstorm warning had been issued in the area during the time of the incident.
In a separate incident, strong winds overturned an Amish buggy in Middlebury, Indiana, leading to the death of Lonnie Yoder.
Northern areas of Michigan’s Lower Peninsula faced continuing challenges on Monday due to the widespread effects of the freezing rain that hit on Saturday, resulting in countless trees being downed. Police have advised residents to stay off the roads. As a result of the power outages, The Alpena News was unable to publish, as the entire Alpena County was without power.
Authorities closed the Mackinac Bridge, a vital link between Michigan’s two peninsulas, due to concerns over falling ice posing a threat to vehicles.
In another weather-related incident, severe crosswinds in Valparaiso, Indiana, are believed to have caused a tractor-trailer to overturn on Sunday afternoon, resulting in the death of Jagbir Singh, 34, of Ontario, Canada. The incident occurred on Pratt Industries’ property. A warehouse in Elkhart, Indiana, was completely destroyed, though no injuries were reported according to WSBT-TV.
Strong winds in southwest Ohio caused significant damage including toppling a church steeple, damaging homes, and turning over campers on Sunday night. Fortunately, no injuries were reported, and the National Weather Service confirmed at least four tornadoes.
Kentucky reported a minimum of three tornadoes on Sunday, as confirmed by the weather service. One tornado struck Spencer County in north-central Kentucky, causing extensive damage to at least one barn by ripping its roof off.
Several counties in Tennessee, such as Maury and Humphreys, experienced storm-related damage, as reported by WSMV-TV. Humphreys County Sheriff Chris Davis described widespread damage, including a house that lost its roof, leaving the residents temporarily trapped but uninjured. The National Weather Service verified at least four tornadoes touched down in middle Tennessee on Monday via Facebook.
As Monday progressed, the National Weather Service warned of clusters of thunderstorms accompanied by violent wind gusts and the potential for tornadoes spreading across much of the Southeast. In Dothan, Alabama, part of a school gymnasium roof collapsed during a storm, injuring five students slightly, as reported by local news outlets.
The agency issued flood alerts from Wednesday until Sunday across 11 states, extending from northeast Texas through Arkansas and to the western boundary of West Virginia. They warned that up to a foot of rainfall in some areas could lead to significant and life-threatening flooding events.