Tornadoes across central United States kill at least eight people

Tornadoes leave behind destruction in states of Oklahoma and Michigan, and authorities say more extreme weather is ahead.

At least eight people have been killed as tornadoes lash the states of Michigan and Oklahoma in the central United States, with authorities warning that more storms are expected.

Authorities on Saturday said that four people were killed in southern Michigan and four in Oklahoma, though the death toll could still rise as rescue workers assess the damage.

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The storms carved a path of rubble, downed power lines and damaged property in the region on Friday, with local media footage showing destroyed cars and buildings in the aftermath.

The National Weather Service said that thunderstorms and flash flooding are expected from the Great Lakes to Texas, with a smaller chance of additional tornadoes in the hours ahead.

The Branch County Sheriff’s Office in Michigan said that three people were killed and 12 were injured in the Union Lake area near Union City.

About 81 kilometres (50 miles) southwest of Union Lake, Cass County officials also reported one death and numerous injuries after a tornado touched down there as well.

The First Congregational Church in Union City, Michigan, was left heavily damaged following a tornado that hit several cities in rural southwest Michigan on March 7 [Bill Pugliano/Getty Images/AFP]

“Emergency Management personnel will be conducting damage assessments in the affected area as required by the State of Michigan,” the local sheriff’s office said.

At least two people were reported killed by a tornado in the town of Beggs, located in Okmulgee County in Oklahoma, according to a law enforcement statement.

State Governor Kevin Stitt also said in a social media post that two people, a mother and a daughter, were killed in Major County on Friday.

“I declared a state of emergency for Alfalfa, Creek, Grant, Major, Okmulgee, Rogers, Tulsa, and Wagoner counties to ensure Oklahomans have the support and resources they need after last night’s storms,” Stitt wrote on social media on Saturday.