KALAMAZOO, Mich. – Three children died after a tree struck their vehicle in Michigan as powerful storms swept across the region, authorities said, and more potentially dangerous weather was forecast for Monday across parts of the Southeast.
The victims were a 2-year-old girl, her 4-year-old brother and a 11-year-old girl who was their cousin, the Kalamazoo County sheriff's office said. Three more people were injured Sunday in the crash in Climax Township, about 130 miles (209 kilometers) west of Detroit.
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“It appears weather is the main contributing factor to this accident,” the sheriff's office said.
Investigators said a tree had struck the vehicle. Kalamazoo County had been under a severe thunderstorm warning at the time, one of several Sunday in southern Michigan.
More than 300,000 power outages were reported Monday in Michigan, while more than 100,000 outages were posted for Wisconsin and Indiana.
In Valparaiso, Indiana, investigators believe severe crosswinds blew over a tractor trailer Sunday afternoon, killing the driver at the property of Pratt Industries, the Porter County sheriff’s office said. Jagbir Singh, 34, of Ontario, Canada, was found outside of the passenger compartment.
A warehouse in Elkhart, Indiana, was destroyed by Sunday's storms, though no injuries were reported, WSBT-TV said.
Winds in southwest Ohio toppled a church steeple, damaged homes and flipped campers Sunday night, authorities said. No injuries were reported. A school district north of Cincinnati said it would not open Monday because of storm damage.
Storm damage was reported in several counties in Tennessee, including Maury and Humphreys counties, WSMV-TV reported. Humphreys County Sheriff Chris Davis reported damage across the county, including a roof torn off a house. The homeowners were trapped inside, but not injured.
Clusters of thunderstorms accompanied by strong to severe wind gusts and perhaps a few tornadoes could spread across much of the Southeast on Monday, the National Weather Service said.