2 Dead, 44 Injured After Tornado Quickly Tears Through Gaylord; Whitmer Declares Emergency

GAYLORD, MI — Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer issued a state of emergency for Otsego County after two person died and 44 others were injured when a tornado ripped through Gaylord Friday afternoon, Michigan State Police said.

The 44 injured were taken to multiple hospitals across Northern Michigan, including 23 at Ostego Memorial Hospital twelve at Grayling Hospital, eight at McLaren Northern Michigan in Petoskey, and one patient Munson Medical Center in Traverse City, state police said.

"My heart goes out to the families and small businesses impacted by the tornado and severe weather in Gaylord," Gov. Whitmer said. "I have declared a state of emergency for Otsego County to rush resources to the affected areas, and the State Emergency Operations Center has been activated to coordinate our state's response. Our state is grateful for the first responders and utility workers who are working hard to keep everyone safe. Michiganders are tough. We are resilient. And there’s no challenge we can’t get through together."

Gaylord city officials issued a shelter in place order from 7 p.m. to 8 a.m. Saturday morning. More than a third of the city's residents were without power Saturday night, as at least 14,000 residents lost power due to the storm, according to PowerOutage.US.

Meteorologists confirmed the tornado touched down in Otsego County around 4 p.m. Friday. Videos and photos posted to social media showed multiple homes and businesses destroyed by the tornado.

Scattered thunderstorms were expected across Michigan, including the Metro Detroit area Saturday, the National Weather Service said. Meteorologists warned the thunderstorms could dump heavy rain, large hail and produce wind gusts up to 60 miles per hour.