Following deadly tornadoes in Michigan on March 6, Governor Gretchen Whitmer and other state officials are questioning the effectiveness of the state's tornado warning system. The primary concern is the absence of a tornado watch issued by the National Weather Service (NWS) prior to the storms, which resulted in at least four fatalities and significant damage across Branch, Cass, and St. Joseph counties. Some speculate that budget cuts within the NWS may have compromised its forecasting capabilities, while the NWS maintains that local offices were adequately staffed and issued specific tornado warnings to affected communities.