Ninth tornado confirmed in Michigan from midweek severe weather outbreak
The National Weather Service has confirmed a ninth tornado out of the severe weather outbreak that hit Michigan late Tuesday night into early Wednesday.
The newest tornado added to the list happened early Wednesday in Branch County, near Coldwater, according to CBS News Detroit chief meteorologist Ahmad Bajjey. The National Weather Service bureau in Northern Indiana, whose coverage area includes part of Southwest Michigan, made that report Thursday.
The intensity of the Branch County tornado is still under review.
The list from the NWS bureaus whose territories include Michigan counties is now as follows:
- EF-0 in Southeast Allegan County.
- EF-1 in Southeast Allegan County.
- EF-1 in Montcalm County that ended in Gratiot County.
- EF-1 in Saginaw County.
- EF-0 in Saginaw County.
- EF-0 in Shiawassee County.
- TBD in Branch County.
- EF-1 in Washtenaw County.
- EF-1 in Wayne County.
The one in Branch County occurred about an hour before the storms reached Metro Detroit, Bajjey said.
This now brings the total number of tornadoes during 2026 in Michigan to 14. There were three tornadoes in Southwest Michigan on March 6 and another in Wayne County on April 4.
Tornadoes are rated via an estimated wind gust speed in the Enhanced Fujita Tornado Scale. An EF-0 tornado is estimated at up to 85 mph, and an EF-1 tornado is estimated at between 86 mph and 110 mph.
How active is the 2026 tornado season?
Michigan normally gets only 13 to 16 tornadoes a year, but this has been an active season and started early with the first ones forming on March 6.
Michigan saw one of its most active tornado seasons on record during 2025, with 33 tornadoes confirmed in the state that year.
