Communities throughout the central United States were cleaning up and trying to recover after an onslaught deadly tornadoes struck the region over the weekend.
At least eight people had been confirmed dead as of Monday, with dozens more injured.
The storms are only the latest reminder of how severe weather events are becoming increasingly common in the global warming era.
The National Weather Service (NWS) confirmed 18 tornadoes between Thursday and Saturday. Eight were rated either EF2 or EF3 – a classification of tornadoes with intense winds ranging from 111 mph to 165 mph.
Deaths have been reported in towns across Michigan and Oklahoma.
Union City, a small town in south-west Michigan, suffered some of the most severe damage from the storms. The area was hit by winds of 160 mph, according to the NWS.
Several homes were taken off their foundation and destroyed, leaving behind only cement blocks. Parked cars were crushed by falling trees, and large amounts of debris were scattered around neighborhoods. About 70 homes in the Union City area were damaged, Tim Miner, the Branch county emergency management coordinator, had previously told the 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 65-year-old Penni Jo Guthrie.
Authorities also confirmed the death of a 12-year-old, Silas Anderson, as a result of injuries from a tornado in Edwardsburg, Michigan.
The death of Akers, Johnson, Guthrie and Silas marked the most in a single day from tornadoes in Michigan since 1980, according to data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (Noaa).
Gretchen Whitmer, the Michigan governor, on Sunday toured damaged areas after at least four tornadoes hit the south-west 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 wrapping our arms” around the affected communities.
“Local crews have been working around the clock to canvass the areas, deliver resources, and clean up the damage,” she said.
Whitmer also declared a state of emergency on Sunday to unlock government resources meant to aid recovery efforts.
The tornadoes hitting the central US arrived mere weeks after multiple blizzards struck the north-east, during what many consider to be 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 analysis has shown that it has also contributed to increased storm intensity.
