Communities across the central United States were cleaning up and trying to recover after a spate of deadly tornadoes hit the region over the weekend.
As of Monday, at least eight people had been confirmed dead and dozens more had been injured.
The storms are just the latest reminder of how severe weather events are becoming increasingly common in the era of global warming.
The National Weather Service (NWS) confirmed 18 tornadoes between Thursday and Saturday. Eight were classified as EF2 or EF3, a classification of tornadoes with intense winds ranging between 111 and 165 mph.
Deaths have been reported in cities in Michigan and Oklahoma.
Union City, a small city in southwest Michigan, suffered some of the most severe damage from the storms. The area was hit by 160 mph winds, according to the NWS.
Several houses were torn from their foundations and destroyed, leaving only cement blocks. Parked cars were crushed by falling trees and large amounts of debris were scattered throughout neighborhoods. About 70 homes in the Union City area were damaged, Tim Miner, Branch County emergency management coordinator, previously told local news outlet WOOD.
On Monday, the Branch County Sheriff’s Office, whose jurisdiction includes Union City, identified three of the victims killed by an EF-3 tornado: William Andrew Akers, 63; Keri Ann Johnson, 54; and Penni Jo Guthrie, 65.
Authorities also confirmed the death of a 12-year-old boy, Silas Anderson, as a result of injuries caused by a tornado in Edwardsburg, Michigan.
The deaths of Akers, Johnson, Guthrie and Silas marked the largest single-day death from tornadoes in Michigan since 1980, according to data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (Noaa).
Gretchen Whitmer, Michigan’s governor, toured damaged areas on Sunday after at least four tornadoes hit the southwestern part of the state. The governor posted a video on social media of herself after a helicopter tour during which she examined the wreckage, saying “our state is embracing” the affected communities.
“Local teams have been working around the clock to survey areas, deliver resources and clean up damage,” he said.
Whitmer also declared a state of emergency on Sunday to unlock government resources intended to aid recovery efforts.
The tornadoes that hit the central United States came just weeks after multiple snowstorms hit the Northeast during what many consider one of the most brutal winters in recent history.
The burning of fossil fuels is considered one of the main drivers of the climate emergency, and previous analyzes have shown that it has also contributed to the increase in storm intensity.
