LANSING, MI (WOWO) Questions are emerging about storm alerts following the deadly tornadoes that struck southwest Michigan last week.

Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer is calling for an investigation into whether a tornado watch for the region was issued too late and whether federal staffing or budget cuts may have played a role. Her office raised the issue in comments reported by the The Detroit News.

Meteorologists say the storm developed rapidly, giving forecasters little time to react. According to reporting from WSBT-TV, the first tornado warning was issued at 3:14 p.m., while the tornado likely formed only about five minutes earlier.

Forecasters explained that tornado watches and warnings are issued by different parts of the weather service. Tornado watches are issued by the Storm Prediction Center in Norman, Oklahoma, when conditions suggest tornadoes are possible. Tornado warnings are issued by local forecast offices when a tornado is detected on radar or confirmed by observers.

Meteorologists say the severe weather risk that day appeared relatively low before storms began forming. Forecast data showed only about a two-percent chance of a tornado within a 25-mile radius of any specific location.

Experts say the tornado developed through a small-scale interaction along a warm front that quickly intensified a thunderstorm into a tornado-producing storm.

Some lawmakers say they are open to reviewing the timeline but caution against assuming mistakes were made. State Senator Jonathan Lindsey said an investigation could help determine whether improvements are needed, while noting that many weather professionals believe the storm intensified unexpectedly.

Forecasters say sudden storm development can sometimes leave only minutes between detection and warning, and they emphasize that residents should keep emergency alerts enabled and have multiple ways to receive warnings during severe weather.