State and federal officials want to know why the National Weather Service (NWS) didn’t issue a tornado watch before deadly twisters hit southwest Michigan on March 6, 2026.

A supercell thunderstorm developed rapidly over Cass County, spawning four tornadoes. The strongest tornado, with winds up to 160 mph, killed three people in Union City, MI in Branch County. 

Michigan senators Gary Peters and Elissa Slotkin wrote a letter to NWS Director Ken Graham demanding answers.

“Was a lack of staff and/or resources a contributing factor to NWS’s ability to issue a tornado watch alert ahead of the March 6 tornadoes,” the senators asked. “What, if anything, would have allowed the responsible NWS offices to identify the supercell that produced these tornadoes?”

The Trump administration cut funding for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration in 2025. NOAA oversees the weather service.

Who issues watches and warnings?

Jackie Anderson is the warning coordination meteorologist at the NWS Detroit-Pontiac bureau in White Lake Township. She says it’s up to NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center in Norman, Oklahoma to issue tornado watches. 

A watch means conditions are favorable for the development of tornadoes in a given area. A warning means a tornado has been detected on radar or by people on the ground.

Anderson says when the SPC issues a watch, local NWS offices work with the folks in Norman to determine when and where tornadoes could form. Then, it’s up to the local bureaus to issue warnings.

“NWS offices across the country are looking at the radar, they’re looking at the environment, they’re looking at storm reports coming in,” Anderson says. “And when we start to see concerning signs of rotation on radar in a certain area in a certain environment that we know is conducive for tornadoes, then we’ll start looking at do we need a tornado warning or not.”

Anderson says her team has the staff and the tools they need to issue timely warnings.

“Our mission is the protection of life and property when it comes to hazardous weather,” she says. “We’re here keeping an eye on the weather 24/7, 365 days a year.”

Tornadoes can strike without warning

The challenge forecasters face is that tornadoes are, by nature, unpredictable. They can form at any time of day or year. And they sometimes spin up even when conditions aren’t necessarily favorable for them.

“Last year, we had a couple of that happened in environments where you wouldn’t say, ‘hey, I’m going to get a tornado out of this type of setup,'” she says. “So, there are some days that are really sneaky.”

Several hours before the twisters on March 6, the Storm Prediction Center posted maps on its website indicating a risk of tornadoes over southern lower Michigan. 

“Even on those days when we don’t have a line of storms coming through, we may have a few areas of storms that are a bit more isolated, but still may have a big impact,” she says.

When the weather service issues any watches or warnings, they go out to local television and radio stations, which broadcast them as soon as possible. Anderson says people can also receive alerts if they have a weather radio or a cell phone. She recommends turning on mobile devices to receive emergency alerts. Anderson says they’re very useful when tornadoes form after midnight.

“It’s really loud and it will wake you up in the middle of the night,” she says.

Spring brings other dangerous weather

Tornadoes are not the only severe weather hazard NWS monitors. Anderson says thunderstorms produce lightning that can strike from miles away. She says people who have plans outdoors should check the weather forecast for thunderstorms first.

“If you can hear thunder, if you can see lightning, you’re at risk for being struck,” she says. “Know where you’re going before those storms strike.”

March 15 to 21 is Severe Weather Awareness Week in Michigan. The weather service has information on its website to help people prepare.

The state conducted a test of its severe weather warning system at 1 p.m. today.  It’s part of coordinated efforts to prepare Michiganders for the upcoming severe weather season this week.

Even though we’re still in winter, Michigan has already seen four tornadoes this month.  One of them was deadly.  Today’s drill was meant to get residents thinking about severe weather and make preparations. 

The type of severe weather that Detroiters are most likely to see in the summer are severe thunderstorms.  These storms can bring heavy rain, winds of 60 miles per hour or more, hail,  and frequent lightning.  Occasionally, these storms can generate tornadoes. 

Make sure you know the difference between a severe thunderstorm watch and a severe thunderstorm warning.  A watch means conditions are right to possibly produce severe storms at some point – and you should keep tabs on the weather.  A warning means severe weather is taking place and you should take shelter. 

The same language applies to tornadoes.  A watch means tornadoes are possible.  A warning means take shelter immediately.  For a tornado warning, get to the lowest level of your house, preferably the basement.  Put as many walls as possible between you and outside.  Get under a sturdy piece of furniture or the staircase.  Stay away from windows, which could break and turn into flying debris.  Take your phone or a battery powered radio with you to keep up with the latest developments. 

Michigan averages about 15 tornadoes per year.  The last tornado to hit Detroit caused millions of dollars of damage in parts of the city and Highland Park back in 1997. 

Make an emergency plan ahead of time and discuss it with your family.  Hold your own drills to make sure everyone knows where to go and what to do when an actual emergency occurs. 

Gas prices continue to rise

In other news,  gas prices continue their dramatic rise.  A gallon of self-serve regular averages $3.83 in Metro Detroit.  That’s up 8 cents from Tuesday.  Prices averaged $2.95 a month ago.  The war with Iran is limiting oil production in some Middle East countries, and it’s preventing tankers from traveling through the Strait of Hormuz.  Analysts say they expect prices to continue rising until hostilities are ended. 

To save some money on gas, pay in cash.  That’s usually 10 cents per gallon cheaper than the credit price.  Make sure your tires are properly inflated.  And avoid jack-rabbit starts. 

Listen to the latest episode of the “Detroit Evening Report” on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, NPR.org or wherever you get your podcasts.

For tens of thousands of people across metro Detroit, this past weekend wasn’t spent relaxing. It was spent in the dark, listening to 70-mile-per-hour wind gusts. Others were likely watching the water line creep up in their basements after days of rain.

When we talk about environmental risk, we’re talking about the collision between volatile weather, intensified by human-caused climate change, and fragile, aging infrastructure. It is the risk your lights won’t stay on, your basement won’t stay dry, and your utility bills will keep rising.

Nearly 95,000 households lost power in this latest storm. While many of the lights are back on, the frustration hasn’t dimmed, especially since DTE Energy’s $242 million rate hike just went into effect earlier this month.

Today marks the start of Severe Weather Awareness Week. Governor Gretchen Whitmer is urging you to “know your plan.” But for many metro Detroiters, that plan is at the mercy of a grid and a regional geography that feels fragile. 

To help us look past the downed limbs and into the systems that are failing, Nicholas Schroeck joined Robyn Vincent on The Metro. Schroeck is the dean of the University of Detroit Mercy’s School of Law and a leading expert on environmental policy.

Hear the full conversation using the media player above.

Listen to The Metro weekdays from 10 a.m. to noon ET on 101.9 FM and streaming on demand.

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