(UNION CITY & THREE RIVERS) -- Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer's office is calling for a federal investigation into why a tornado watch was not issued before deadly storms struck southwest Michigan Friday.
The storms included an EF-3 tornado with winds reaching 160 miles per hour, leaving four people dead and dozens injured across Branch, Cass, and St. Joseph counties.
Whitmer spokesperson Stacey LaRouche said the lack of a tornado watch before the storms hit is "troubling" and raised questions about whether recent federal funding cuts to the National Weather Service may have affected the agency's ability to issue alerts.
However, 5th District Congressman Tim Walberg, who toured the damaged areas Monday with other lawmakers, dismissed the claims made by the governor's office.
The National Weather Service says tornado warnings were issued once the storms appeared on radar. Officials say a broader tornado watch was not issued beforehand because the storm developed rapidly and appeared extremely isolated.
Meteorologists say the supercell intensified from "zero to 100" within minutes, making it difficult to detect earlier.