Alert archive / Michigan / Tornado Warnings in 1986
Tornado Warning 25, NWS Detroit, MI
NWS Detroit, MI issued this tornado warning at Aug 26, 1986, 8:52 PM EDT for Washtenaw County, Wayne County, Michigan. It was in force for 23 min.
The area
The counties it named.
The facts
- Issued
- Aug 26, 1986, 8:52 PM EDT (00:52 UTC)
- Expired
- Aug 26, 1986, 9:15 PM EDT
- In force
- 23 min
- Issued by
- NWS Detroit, MI
- Area
- Whole counties
Counties Washtenaw County, MI, Wayne County, MI
The radar
The WSR-88D network and its archive begin in 1991, so there is no radar volume for this alert.
The nearest sounding before it
Dayton/James M C, OH (KDAY), launched 00:00Z, 0.9 hours before the alert went out and 269 km from the middle of its area. This is the routine balloon launch nearest before it, the air the forecaster had in hand, not a measurement taken for the alert.
- Mixed-layer CAPE
- 991 J/kg
- Mixed-layer CIN
- -59 J/kg
- Mixed-layer LCL
- 895 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 40 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- 198 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 246 m²/s²
- Significant tornado parameter
- 0.9
- Supercell composite
- 8.4
The text
As transmitted, in the capitals the NWS used until 2016.
000 TTAA00 KARB 270052 TORDTW MIC161-163-270115- BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED/EBS ACTIVATION REQUESTED TORNADO WARNING NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DETROIT MI ISSUED BY ANN ARBOR MI 852 PM EDT TUE AUG 26 1986 THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS ISSUED A TORNADO WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL 915 PM EDT FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES OF SOUTHEAST LOWER MICHIGAN...EASTERN WASHTENAW AND WAYNE NUMEROUS FUNNEL CLOUDS HAVE BEEN REPORTED BY RELIABLE SPOTTERS IN WASHTENAW COUNTY. IF YOU ARE IN THE PATH OF THIS TORNADO..GO TO A BASEMENT SHELTER IF AVAILABLE. OTHERWISE GO TO A CENTRAL INTERIOR ROOM ON THE LOWEST FLOOR. DO NOT STAY IN A CAR OR MOBILE HOME..FIND A REINFORCED SHELTER OR LIE FLAT IN A DITCH OR RAVINE. HUGHES
What forecasters said that day
The local office's own words before this tornado warning went out, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.
In the hours before
Local storm report, Aug 26, 6:27 PM EDT, 2 hours 25 minutes before
LOCAL STORM REPORT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ANN ARBOR MI 625 PM EDT TUE AUG 26 1986 ...POSSIBLE TORNADO TOUCHDOWN IN SOUTH LOWER MICHIGAN... AT 618 PM STATE POLICE REPORTED EVIDENCE OF A POSSIBLE TORNA(DO TOUCHDOWN IN ST. JOSEPH COUNTY NEAR THOMAS ROAD AND US-12. CITIZENS HAVE REPORTED TREES DOWN AND HOUSES DAMAGED. STATE POLICE WERE ENROUTE TO INVESTIGATE. HUGHES
Special weather statement, Aug 26, 6:32 PM EDT, 2 hours 20 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ANN ARBOR MI 630 PM EDT TUE AUG 26 1986 ...TORNADO WATCH NUMBER 500 HAS BEEN CANCELLED FOR ADDITIONAL COUNTIES IN SOUTHERN LOWER MICHIGAN... ST. JOSEPH AND CALHOUN COUNTIES IN SOUTHERN LOWER MICHIGAN ARE NO LONGER INCLUDED IN THE WATCH AREA. THE WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR BRANCH..JACKSON..HILLSDALE.. WASHTENAW..LENAWEE..OAKLAND..MACOMB..WAYNE..AND MONROE COUNTIES UNTIL 10 PM TONIGHT. * AT 630 PM THE LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS EXTENDED FROM MICHIGANS THUMB THROUGH THE FLINT AND JACKSON AREAS AND INTO NORTHEAST INDIANA. THE LINE WAS MOVING TO THE EAST SOUTHEAST AT 35 MPH. HUGHES
Local storm report, Aug 26, 6:39 PM EDT, 2 hours 13 minutes before
ADDITIONAL REPORT... STATE POLICE AFTER INVESTIGATION REPORT SOME STRAIGHT-LINE WIND DAMAGE..TREES DOWN AND MINOR HOUSE DAMAGE..BUT NO PATTERN SUGGESTING A TORNADO TOUCHDOWN. HUGHES
Special weather statement, Aug 26, 6:41 PM EDT, 2 hours 11 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FLINT MI 640 PM EDT TUE AUG 26 1986 ..... THUNDERSTORMS OCCURING IN CENTRAL LOWER MICHIGAN... .VERY HEAVY TO INTENSE THUNDERSTORMS ARE BEING INDICATED ON WEATHER RADAR IN ABOUT 20 MILES NORTHEAST OF LANSING IN INGHAM COUNTY AS OF 635 PM EDT THIS EVENING. THESE THUNDERSTORMS ARE IMBEDDED IN A VERY LARGE AREA OF LIGHT TO MODERATE RAINSHOWERS AND THUNDERSHOWERS EXTENDING FROM THE SAGINAW BAY SOUTHWEST TO NEAR SOUTH BEND INDIANA. ALSO..A THUNDERSTORM PRODUCING HAIL OCCURED NEAR THE THREE RIVERS AREA IN SOUTHWEST LOWER MICHIGAN. THIS STORM ALSO PRODUCED A BRIEF FUNNEL CLOUD WHICH TORE SOME SIDING OFF A HOUSE NEAR KALAMAZOO. IN LANSING A BARN WAS DAMAGED BY THE THUNDERSTORMS CURRENTLY HEADING IN THIS DIRECTION. .THESE THUNDERSTORMS ARE MOVING TO THE EAST AT NEAR 40 MILES AN HOUR AND ARE NOW ENTERING SHIAWASSEE COUNTY. LOOK FOR LARGE HAIL..DAMAGING WINDS DANGEROUS LIGHTNING..AND THE POSSIBILITY OF A TORNADO AS THESE STORMS PASS THROUGH THE AREA AND TAKE SHELTER IF THREATENING WEATHER IS SIGHTED. .A TORNADO WATCH IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 10 PM FOR PORTIONS OF SOUTHERN LOWER MICHIGAN. .STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR LOCAL TELEVIS1ION AND COMMERCIAL RADIO STATIONS FOR THE LASTEST WEATHER UPDATES. DICKS
Special weather statement, Aug 26, 7:32 PM EDT, 1 hour 20 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ANN ARBOR MI 730 PM EDT TUE AUG 26 1986 ...TORNADO WATCH NUMBER 500 HAS BEEN CANCELLED FOR ADDITIONAL COUNTIES IN SOUTHERN LOWER MICHIGAN... BRANCH AND HILLSDALE COUNTIES IN SOUTHERN LOWER MICHIGAN ARE NO LONGER INCLUDED IN THE WATCH AREA. THE WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR JACKSON..WASHTENAW..LENAWEE.. OAKLAND..MACOMB..WAYNE..AND MONROE COUNTIES UNTIL 10 PM TONIGHT. AT 730 PM A LINE jOF THUNDERSTORMS EXTENDED FROM NEAR PORT HURON THROUGH THE DETROIT AREA TO JUST NORTH OF FORT WAYNE INDIANA. A SECOND AREA OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS EXTENDED FROM FLINT TO NEAR JACKSON. STORMS WERE MOVING TO THE EAST AT 35 TO 40 MPH. HUGHES
Special weather statement, Aug 26, 8:37 PM EDT, 15 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ANN ARBOR MI 835 PM EDT TUE AUG 26 1986 ...TORNADO WATCH NUMBER 500 HAS BEEN CANCELLED FOR ADDITIONAL COUNTIES IN SOUTHERN LOWER MICHIGAN... JACKSON AND LENAWEE COUNTIES IN SOUTHERN LOWER MICHIGAN ARE NO LONGER INCLUDED IN THE WATCH AREA. THE WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR WASHTENAW..OAKLAND..MACOMB..WAYNE.. AND MONROE COUNTIES UNTIL 10 PM TONIGHT. AT 830 PM AN AREA OF THUNDERSTORMS EXTENDED FROM LAPEER COUNTY EAST OF FLINT TO NEAR ANN ARBOR IN WASHTENAW COUNTY. THESE STORMS WERE MOVING TO THE EAST AT 35 TO 40 MPH. HUGHES
The office that day
Everything else NWS Detroit, MI issued on the same UTC day.
| Issued | Product | Office | Counties | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 26, 8:06 PM EDT | Tornado Warning | DTX | Genesee | 24 min |
| Aug 26, 8:28 PM EDT | Tornado Warning | DTX | Genesee, Lapeer | 27 min |
Nearby
Tornado Warnings in Michigan, 1986Every tornado warning in 1986Tornadoes in 1986
Sources
The product and its follow-ups from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service and Storm Prediction Center text; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive.