Berrien County Sheriff's Department Assists with Storm Damage Assessment in Southwest Michigan

Sheriff's department sends emergency management responders to aid neighboring counties affected by tornadoes.

Mar. 10, 2026 at 2:00am

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The Berrien County Sheriff's Department is helping recovery efforts in areas of Southwest Michigan affected by tornadoes on Friday. Sheriff Chuck Heit said staff have been assisting neighboring counties with damage assessment, including sending four emergency management responders to St. Joseph County and Branch County to survey the damage. Heit noted they found "some total loss" but were impressed by the number of volunteers helping in the affected communities.

Why it matters

The Berrien County Sheriff's Department's mutual aid efforts highlight the importance of regional cooperation and coordination during natural disasters. By providing assistance to neighboring counties, the department is helping to expedite recovery and ensure affected communities receive the resources they need.

The details

According to Sheriff Heit, the Berrien County Sheriff's Department's Emergency Management and Homeland Security Division assisted St. Joseph County on Sunday, March 8 and Branch County on Monday, March 9 with damage assessment in the areas affected by the tornadoes. The responders found significant damage, including some total loss, but were encouraged by the outpouring of community volunteers helping with recovery efforts.

  • The tornadoes struck on Friday, March 6.
  • The Berrien County Sheriff's Department assisted St. Joseph County on Sunday, March 8.
  • The Berrien County Sheriff's Department assisted Branch County on Monday, March 9.

The players

Berrien County Sheriff's Department

The law enforcement agency for Berrien County, Michigan that is assisting with storm damage assessment and recovery efforts in neighboring counties affected by recent tornadoes.

Chuck Heit

The sheriff of Berrien County, Michigan who is overseeing the department's mutual aid efforts.

St. Joseph County

A neighboring county in Southwest Michigan that received assistance from the Berrien County Sheriff's Department for damage assessment.

Branch County

A neighboring county in Southwest Michigan that received assistance from the Berrien County Sheriff's Department for damage assessment.

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What they’re saying

“Our Emergency management and Homeland Security Division assisted our neighboring counties on Sunday, March 8. Representatives assisted St. Joe County with damage assessment in the affected areas of Three Rivers, Michigan. And then today, March 9, we assisted Branch County with damage assessment in the affected area in Union City.”

— Chuck Heit, Sheriff

“They found, unfortunately, some total loss. I mean, you see the photos. I think they're amazed at the number of volunteers and from the community helping go house to house. They were basically doing damage assessment to help the emergency management divisions of those two counties.”

— Chuck Heit, Sheriff

What’s next

The Berrien County Sheriff's Department has not received any additional requests for assistance as of Monday afternoon, but staff will remain ready to travel and provide help if needed in the coming days.

The takeaway

The Berrien County Sheriff's Department's swift response to provide mutual aid to neighboring counties impacted by the recent tornadoes demonstrates the importance of regional cooperation during natural disasters. By leveraging their emergency management resources, the department is helping to accelerate recovery efforts and support affected communities.