Deadly Tornadoes Strike Plains and Great Lakes

MARCH 5-7, 2026 - A powerful early-March storm system unleashed a widespread severe weather outbreak across parts of the Plains and Midwest, producing tornadoes, damaging winds, and large hail that left several communities dealing with significant destruction. The storms developed as warm, moisture-rich air surged north from the Gulf and collided with a strong cold front moving across the central United States. The combination of instability and strong wind shear created an environment favorable for intense thunderstorms capable of producing tornadoes. 

Severe storms erupted across several states, including Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Missouri, Arkansas, and Illinois, before tracking farther north into the Midwest and Great Lakes. Millions of people were placed under severe weather alerts as powerful thunderstorms developed along the advancing storm system. Some storms quickly intensified into supercells, capable of producing tornadoes and very large hail. 

According to the National Weather Service in Tulsa, Oklahoma, the Beggs tornado has a preliminary rating of EF-3 with estimated peak winds of 135 to 140 mph.

One of the hardest hit areas was southern Michigan, where tornadoes damaged homes and buildings and caused multiple fatalities. Emergency crews responded to widespread damage after storms tore through communities overnight, leaving debris scattered across neighborhoods and knocking out power to thousands. In addition to the tornado threat, storms produced destructive straight-line winds and hail large enough to cause damage to vehicles, roofs and windows. Storm surveyors found EF2 damage in Three Rivers and EF3 damage in Union City, MI.

Some of the storms produced hail larger than three inches in diameter along with wind gusts exceeding 70 miles per hour. Heavy rainfall also accompanied the storms, raising concerns for localized flooding in some areas. 

The outbreak is notable because it occurred relatively early in the severe weather season and impacted a broad portion of the country from the Southern Plains to the Great Lakes. As the storm system continues to push east, an additional round of strong to severe thunderstorms could develop in parts of the eastern United States before conditions gradually improve.