Alert archive / Michigan / Tornado Warnings in 1986

Tornado Warning 29, NWS Detroit, MI

September 26, 1986Macomb County, Oakland County, Michigan

NWS Detroit, MI issued this tornado warning at Sep 26, 1986, 8:12 PM EDT for Macomb County, Oakland County, Michigan. It was in force for 48 min.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued
Sep 26, 1986, 8:12 PM EDT (00:12 UTC)
Expired
Sep 26, 1986, 9:00 PM EDT
In force
48 min
Issued by
NWS Detroit, MI
Area
Whole counties

Counties Macomb County, MI, Oakland 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

Detroit, MI (KFNT), launched 00:00Z, 0.2 hours before the alert went out and 24 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.

Skew-T log-pSkew-T log-p diagram, Detroit, MI at 00:00Z on 1986-09-27Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 1454 joules per kilogram.LCLLFCEL10008507005003002001001 km2 km3 km6 km9 km12 km15 km-30°-20°-10°0°10°20°30°40°
Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.
HodographHodograph, Detroit, MI at 00:00Z on 1986-09-27The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 114 square meters per square second.193958Sfc1 km3 km6 km9 kmRMLM
The wind turning with height, colored by layer: ground to 1 km, 1 to 3 km, 3 to 6 km, 6 to 10 km.
Mixed-layer CAPE
1454 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-37 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
843 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
17 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
114 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
149 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.0

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

As transmitted, in the capitals the NWS used until 2016.

000 
TTAA00 KDTW 270012
TORDTW
MIC125-099-270100-

BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED/EBS ACTIVATION REQUESTED 
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DETROIT MI
812 PM EDT FRI SEP 26 1986

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS ISSUED A TORNADO WARNING 
EFFECTIVE UNTIL 900 PM EDT FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES OF

SOUTHEAST LOWER MICHIGAN...EXTREME EASTERN OAKLAND AND MACOMB

AT 753 PM A SKYWARN SPOTTER REPORTED A FUNNEL CLOUD AT WOODWARD AND
BIG BEAVER ROADS IN TROY..16 MILES NORTH NORTHWEST OF DOWNTOWN
DETROIT MICHIGAN. AT 802 PM A SKYWARN SPOTTER REPORTED A FUNNEL
CLOUD AT AUBURN AND ROCHESTER ROADS IN TROY...OAKLAND COUNTY...22
MILES NORTH OF DOWNTOWN DETROIT. AT 805 PM DETROIT WEATHER RADAR
INDICATED A TORNADO OVER EASTERN OAKLAND COUNTY...7 MILES EAST OF
PONTIAC MOVING TO THE EAST AT 30 MILES AN HOUR.

IF THREATENING WEATHER APPROACHES GO TO A BASEMENT SHELTER IF
AVAILABLE. OTHERWISE GO TO A CENTRAL INTERIOR ROOM ON THE LOWEST
FLOOR POSSIBLE'. CARS AND MOBILE HOMES SHOULD BE ABANDONED FOR A
REINFORCED BUILDING. STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO..COMMERCIAL
RADIO..OR TELEVISION FOR LATER STATEMENTS OR POSSIBLE WARNINGS.

..ZALESKI/GREEN..

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

Special weather statement, Sep 26, 4:16 PM EDT, 3 hours 56 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER AND FLASH FLOOD STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ANN ARBOR MI
415 PM EDT FRI SEP 26 1986

...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH HAS BEEN ISSUED FOR MUCH OF SOUTH LOWER
   MICHIGAN UNTIL 900 PM EDT THIS EVENING...

...A FLASH FLOOD WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR THE SOUTH TWO THIRDS OF
   LOWER MICHIGAN...

SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH NUMBER 519 IS NOW IN EFFECT FOR MUCH OF SOUTH
LOWER MICHIGAN... MAINLY SOUTH OF A GRAND RAPIDS.. SAGINAW LINE. THIS
WATCH IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 900 PM EDT THIS EVENING.  AT 410 PM EDT
WEATHER RADAR SHOWED SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS NORTH ILLINOIS...
NORTH INDIANA... SOUTH LOWER MICHIGAN AND NORTH OHIO. STORMS WERE
MOVING EAST AT ABOUT 35 MPH.

A FLOOD WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR THE FLINT RIVER AT FLINT MICHIGAN...
WHERE THUNDERSTORMS DUMPED MORE RAIN EARLIER TODAY.

A FLASH FLOOD WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR THE SOUTH TWO THIRDS OF
LOWER MICHIGAN THROUGH SATURDAY NIGHT. EACH BATCH OF THUNDERSTORMS
WHICH CROSSES THE SOUTH TWO THIRDS OF THE LOWER PENINSULA WILL BRING
THE THREAT OF HEAVY RAINFALL... AND THE ATTENDANT RISK OF FLASH
FLOODING.

A FLASH FLOOD WATCH MEANS RAPID FLOODING IS POSSIBLE WITHIN THE WATCH
AREA.  PERSONS IN THIS AREA SHOULD REMAIN ALERT AND BE READY TO TAKE
QUICK ACTION IF FLOODING IS OBSERVED OR A WARNING ISSUED.
Special weather statement, Sep 26, 4:17 PM EDT, 3 hours 55 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER AND FLASH FLOOD STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ANN ARBOR MI
415 PM EDT FRI SEP 26 1986

...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH HAS BEEN ISSUED FOR MUCH OF SOUTH LOWER
   MICHIGAN UNTIL 900 PM EDT THIS EVENING...

...A FLASH FLOOD WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR THE SOUTH TWO THIRDS OF
   LOWER MICHIGAN...

SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH NUMBER 519 IS NOW IN EFFECT FOR MUCH OF SOUTH
LOWER MICHIGAN... MAINLY SOUTH OF A GRAND RAPIDS.. SAGINAW LINE. THIS
WATCH IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 900 PM EDT THIS EVENING.  AT 410 PM EDT
WEATHER RADAR SHOWED SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS NORTH ILLINOIS...
NORTH INDIANA... SOUTH LOWER MICHIGAN AND NORTH OHIO. STORMS WERE
MOVING EAST AT ABOUT 35 MPH.

A FLOOD WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR THE FLINT RIVER AT FLINT MICHIGAN...
WHERE THUNDERSTORMS DUMPED MORE RAIN EARLIER TODAY.
A FLASH FLOOD WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR THE SOUTH TWO THIRDS OF
LOWER MICHIGAN THROUGH SATURDAY NIGHT. EACH BATCH OF THUNDERSTORMS
WHICH CROSSES THE SOUTH TWO THIRDS OF THE LOWER PENINSULA WILL BRING
THE THREAT OF HEAVY RAINFALL... AND THE ATTENDANT RISK OF FLASH
FLOODING.

A FLASH FLOOD WATCH MEANS RAPID FLOODING IS POSSIBLE WITHIN THE WATCH
AREA.  PERSONS IN THIS AREA SHOULD REMAIN ALERT AND BE READY TO TAKE
QUICK ACTION IF FLOODING IS OBSERVED OR A WARNING ISSUED.

KAUFMAN
Special weather statement, Sep 26, 6:17 PM EDT, 1 hour 55 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FLINT MI
600 PM EDT FRI SEP 26 1986

      ... THUNDERSTORMS CAUSING URBAN FLOODING...

AT 6 PM EDT RADAR INDICATED A HEAVY THUNDERSTORM MOVING INTO THE
SOUTHWEST PORTION OF SHIAWASSEE COUNTY. HEAVY RAIN DANGEROUS LIGHTENING
AND GUSTY WINDS ARE LIKELY WITH THIS STORM.

FLOODING OF SMALL STREAMS ..LOW LYING AREAS.. AND STREETS AND UNDERPASSES
ARE LIKELY AS THIS STORM PASSES OVER THE AREA. THIS STORM IS MOVING EAST
AT 35 MPH AND WILL ENTER GENESEE COUNTY WITHIN THE HOUR. THIS STORM WILL
MOVE OVER THE SAME AREA THAT HAD THE HEAVY RAIN FALL EARLIER TODAY.

PERSONS IN FLOOD PRONE AREAS SHOULD PREPARE TO TAKE APPROPRIATE ACTION
AND MONITOR THE RAINFALL CLOSELY.

A FLASH FLOOD WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 8 AM EDT SUNDAY MORNING.
AND A SEVER THUNDERSTORM WATCH IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 9 PM EDT THIS EVENING.

STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR LOCAL TELEVISION OR COMMERCIAL
RADIO FOR LATER UPDATES AND POSSIBLE WARNINGS.

BURNS
Special weather statement, Sep 26, 7:49 PM EDT, 23 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FLINT MI
730 PM EDT FRI SEP 26 1986

... SEVERE THUNDER STORM WATCH IN EFFECT UNTIL 9 PM EDT...
... FLASH FLOOD WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 8 AM SUNDAY MORNING..
....FLOOD WARNING FOR THE FLINT RIVER AT FLINT....

AT 730 PM EDT RADAR INDICATED HEAVY THUNDERSTORMS  MOVING THROUGH THE
EXTREME SOUTHEASTERN PORTION OF GENESEE COUNTY. AN AREA OF MOSTLY RAIN
WITH SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS EXTENDES WEST TO 30 MILES WEST OF LANSING.

A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 9PM EDT THIS FRIDAY
EVENING.
A FLASH FLOOD WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 8 AM EDT SUNDAY MORNING.
A FLOOD WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR THE FLINT RIVER AT FLINT.

ALTHOUGH THE HEAVY THUNDERSTORMS WILL MOVE OUT OF THE AREA IN THE NEXT HOUR
THE THREAT OF HEAVY RAIN WILL CONTINUE FOR AT LEAT THE NEXT SEVERAL HOURS.

STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR LOCAL TELEVISION OR COMMERCIAL
RADIO FOR LATER UPDATES AND POSSIBLE WARNINGS.

BURNS
Special weather statement, Sep 26, 8:08 PM EDT, 4 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ANN ARBOR MI
808 PM EDT FRI SEP 26 1986

...THUNDERSTORMS IN SOUTHEAST LOWER MICHIGHAN...

AT 800 PM EDT A LARGE AREA OF THUNDERSTORMS WAS OVER SOUTHEAST LOWER
MICHIGAN... WEST OHIO... AND EXTREME NORTHEAST INDIANA. STORMS WERE
MOVING EAST AT 30 MPH. NO REPORTS OF SEVERE WEATHER HAVE BEEN RECEIVED
IN THE PAST HOUR.

THE FOLLOWING LOWER MICHIGAN COUNTIES HAVE BEEN REMOVED FROM THE
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH AREA... HURON.. SAGINAW.. TUSCOLA.. SANILAC..
CLINTON.. SHIAWASSEE.. GENESEE.. LAPEER.. EATON.. INGHAM.. LIVINGSTON..
CALHOUN.. JACKSON.. WASHTENAW.. BRANCH.. HILLSDALE.. LENAWEE.

SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH NUMBER 519 CONTINUES IN EFFECT FOR EXTREME
SOUTHEAST LOWER MICHIGAN.

KAUFMAN

The office that day

Everything else NWS Detroit, MI issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Sep 26, 8:57 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDTXMacomb, Saint Clair63 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.