Michigan Tornado History – No Foolin’

In today’s Michigan Tornado History post, you might think it’s an April Fool’s Joke.  Rest assured, it is not.  We’ll discuss the event in further detail soon (the real world is calling) but for the short of it:

On April 1, 1987, a tornado came ashore in Chippewa County, after developing over Lake Superior during a snow squall.  This is a great post to discuss the formation of waterspouts, as their formation is a bit different from traditional tornadoes.  We will take a closer look at this event a bit later tonight.

Michigan Tornado History – March 30, 1977

Today in Michigan Tornado History, we present a single tornado that touched down in Oceana County on March 30, 1977.  There is nothing blatantly unique about this event, but each time we look back at Michigan’s tornado history, it helps us to prepare for future tornado events.

Michigan Tornado History – March 28, 1928

From the National Weather Service in Detroit:

On March 28, 1928, a early season tornado outbreak hit Southern Lower Michigan, Indiana and Ohio. 14 tornadoes were recorded in Michigan from Mason and Oceana Counties in West Central Lower Michigan to Genesee and Oakland Counties in Southeast Lower. Three of the Michigan tornadoes were estimated to be as strong as F4 including one that hit Genesee and Oakland Counties. That tornado started near Fenton and moved 10 miles northeast across far northwest Oakland County. Four deaths were recorded from this particular tornado including one person in an overturned car, probably just the second tornado related death in a car at that point in U.S. history. Specifically for Southeast Lower Michigan, tornadoes hit Saginaw, Genesee, Oakland and Shiawassee Counties. In total across the state there were 13 deaths and 59 injuries.

Will have to do some digging to see if I can pull up any maps.  (Updated 12:42am, March 29, 2011)

Michigan Tornado History: 20th Anniversary of the March 27, 1991, Tornado Outbreak

Today marks the 20th Anniversary of the March 27, 1991, tornado outbreak, one of the largest in Michigan history.  Fifteen tornadoes touched down across the state, including 4 F3, 3 F2, 3 F1, and 5 F0 tornadoes.  These tornadoes resulted in 18 injuries and over 40 million dollars in damage.

Michigan Tornado History – March 26, 1968, Monroe County F2

Today in Michigan Tornado History, we discuss the tornado(es) of March 26, 1968 in Monroe County.  The National Climatic Data Center lists that day’s event as a single tornado, but C.R. Snider, Meteorologist in Charge at the NWS, which was in Ann Arbor, Michigan, at the time, suggests there may have been two tornadoes.

Michigan Tornado History/Michigan Weather Mystery – Tuscola County F2

Here we go again.  We’ve got another Michigan Tornado History posting for you, and this time we’re looking at the 1971 F2 tornado that struck Tuscola County around 8:30pm.

This tornado caused approximately 250,000 dollars in damage and resulted in one injury along its 10.4 mile path.  The damage path was a wide path as well, at 1100 yards.  With a rating of F2, this tornado ranks as the strongest in Tuscola County history, with other F2 tornadoes occurring April 11, 1965, June 15, 1982, and August 7, 1984.

Michigan Tornado History/Michigan Weather Mystery – St. Clair County F4

In another exciting installment of Michigan’s Tornado History, we bring you the story of the first F4 tornado to hit St. Clair County in 1953.  In 1953, two F4 tornadoes touched down in St. Clair County.  One occurred with the June 8, 1953, tornado outbreak that brought an F5 tornado to Flint.  The first one touched down on March 21, 1953.  Or was it May 21, 1953? (Updated 4:35pm March 24, 2011)

Michigan Tornado History – March 20, 1976

A quick blog update here, with a more detailed discussion and analysis later today.  Today marks the 35th Anniversary of the West Bloomfield F4 tornado, with an F3 tornado that struck Macomb County later that evening. (Updated 4:40pm March 24, 2011)

Michigan Tornado History – January 18, 1996

This will be the first in a series of posts discussing some of Michigan’s unique, significant, and/or noteworthy tornado events.  In the posting for the 86th Anniversary of the Tri-State Tornado, I mentioned how Michigan once had a tornado in January.  I want to take a bit of a closer look at that event.