(UNION CITY, MI) - Federal officials are now on the ground in Union City assessing damage from the March 6 tornado.
FEMA teams, along with state police and federal partners, spent Tuesday surveying destroyed homes and damaged infrastructure in the area.
The assessments will help determine whether the damage meets the threshold for a federal disaster declaration, which would open the door for additional recovery aid.
The EF-3 tornado produced winds near 160 miles per hour, killing three people in Branch County and damaging or destroying about 70 homes in the Union City area.
State officials have already declared an emergency, and local leaders are hoping the federal review will lead to long-term assistance for rebuilding.