Boy, 12, among six dead as tornadoes hit Michigan and Oklahoma

BBC:

At least six people have died and more than a dozen others injured after tornadoes struck Michigan and Oklahoma, in severe storms that swept across parts of the US.

Officials said four people were killed in southern Michigan, including a 12-year-old boy, and two died in Oklahoma on Friday, with rescue workers continuing to assess the damage.

The storms uprooted trees, downed power lines, damaged buildings and ripped the roofs off some houses on Friday.

The National Weather Service (NWS) said the severe weather could continue into the weekend, warning of thunderstorms and flash flooding from the Great Plains to Texas.

In Michigan, the Branch County sheriff’s department said three people were killed and 12 others were injured near Union City after a tornado hit on Friday. Power outages and road closures are expected this weekend, they added.

About 50 miles (80 km) away in Cass County, Michigan, authorities reported one one death and several injuries.

“Multiple large structures – including homes and pole barns – sustained damage ranging from major structural impacts to complete destruction,” they said in a statement.

Hundreds of people were reported to be without power, they added.

Cass County Sheriff Clint Roach announced on Saturday that 12-year-old Silas Anderson died from unspecified weather-related injuries in Edwardsburg, Michigan.

“Silas was surrounded by family at the time of his passing,” the sheriff’s office said in a social media post.