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The Heartland is reeling after a catastrophic outbreak of tornadoes<\/u><\/a> claimed at least eight lives, leaving a trail of splintered homes and shattered communities in its wake on Thursday and Friday.<\/p>\n This devastation was part of a multi-day severe weather outbreak that began across Texas<\/u><\/a>, the Plains, and the Midwest<\/u><\/a> before moving toward the Great Lakes<\/a> and the Northeast<\/a> on Saturday.<\/p>\n The storm system spanned more than 1,500 miles\u2014from Northeast<\/u><\/a> to Texas<\/u><\/a>\u2014and impacted over 90 million people.<\/p>\n The Cass County Sheriff\u2019s Office identified a 12-year-old boy as one of the victims killed in southwest Michigan.<\/p>\n Authorities say the boy, Silas Anderson, was reported missing as severe storms slammed the area and was later found injured; he was taken to a hospital where he later died.<\/p>\n At Least 8 Killed From Destructive Tornadoes As Severe Weather Outbreak Devastates America’s Heartland<\/u><\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer declared a State of Emergency for the impacted counties devastated by the deadly outbreak ahead of touring the impacted communities with the Michigan State Police on Sunday.<\/p>\n At least nine tornadoes ripped through the Heartland between Thursday and Saturday, ranging in strength from EF-0 to EF-3 and leaving communities devastated in their wake.<\/p>\n The ravaging storms\u2014including powerful winds<\/a> up to 150 mph in some areas, damaging hail<\/a>, and intense tornadoes\u2014leveled homes, tore apart communities, and left neighborhoods in ruins across parts of the Midwest<\/u><\/a> and Plains.<\/p>\n