Alert archive / Michigan / Tornado Warnings in 1986
Tornado Warning 32, NWS Detroit, MI
NWS Detroit, MI issued this tornado warning at Sep 29, 1986, 7:54 PM EDT for Genesee County, Michigan. It was in force for 66 min. 1 report came from inside the area while it was in force.
The area
The counties it named, with what was reported inside it.
The facts
- Issued
- Sep 29, 1986, 7:54 PM EDT (23:54 UTC)
- Expired
- Sep 29, 1986, 9:00 PM EDT
- In force
- 66 min
- Issued by
- NWS Detroit, MI
- Area
- Whole counties
County Genesee County, MI
The radar
The WSR-88D network and its archive begin in 1991, so there is no radar volume for this alert.
What was reported inside it
| Time | Report | Where | Remark |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 29, 8:10 PM EDT | Thunderstorm Wind 0 | Genesee, MI |
NCEI Storm Data entries that began inside the alert's area while it was in force. Before 2003 the local storm report archive is thin, so this is the record of what happened rather than what was phoned in. Storm Data before 1996 records only tornadoes, thunderstorm wind and hail.
The nearest sounding before it
Detroit, MI (KFNT), launched 12:00Z, 11.9 hours before the alert went out and 40 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
- 1291 J/kg
- Mixed-layer CIN
- -76 J/kg
- Mixed-layer LCL
- 725 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 45 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- 346 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 331 m²/s²
- Significant tornado parameter
- 0.0
- Supercell composite
- 9.9
The text
As transmitted, in the capitals the NWS used until 2016.
000
TTAAOO KFNT 292354
TORFNT
MIC049-300100-
BULLETIN - EBS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FLINT MI
754 PM EDT MON SEP 29 1986
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS ISSUED A TORNADO WARNING
EFFECTIVE UNTIL 900 PM EDT FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES:
IN EAST CENTRAL MICHIGAN
..SOUTH CENTRAL GENESEE
AT 753 PM EDT SPOTTERS REPORTED TWO HOUSES DESTROYED NEAR THE
INTERSECTION OF RAY RD AND SHARP RD IN SOUTH CENTRAL LOWER GENESEE
COUNTY. IT APPEARS THAT THE TORNADO IS MOVING IN AN EASTERLY
DIRECTION AT THIS TIME.
THIS IS A DANGEROUS STORM SITUATION. ACT QUICKLY. IF YOU ARE IN
THE PATH OF THIS TORNADO MOVE TO A SHELTER BELOW GROUND IF
AVAILABLE. OTHERWISE, GO TO A SMALL INTERIOR ROOM ON THE LOWEST
FLOOR POSSIBLE. AVOID WINDOWS. ABANDON CARS AND MOBILE HOMES
FOR A REINFORCED BUILDING OR GET INTO A DITCH OR CULVERT.
IF YOU LIVE IN A HOME OR APARTMENT, SEEK SHELTER IN THE INNERMOST
PORTION OF THE BUILDING ON THE LOWEST FLOOR. GET TO A BASEMENT
IF ONE IS AVAILABLE. AVOID WINDOWS AND PROTECT YOUR BODY FROM
FLYING DEBRIS WITH CUSHIONS, BLANKETS OR PILLOWS.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 29, 2:53 PM EDT, 5 hours 1 minute before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FLINT MI 250 PM EDT SEPTEMBER 29 1986 ...VERY HEAVY THUNDERSTORMS MOVING ACROSS PARTS OF EAST CENTRAL LOW MICHIGAN. AT 230 PM EDT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RADAR SHOWED VERY HEAVY THUNDERSTORMS TO THE SOUTHWEST OF FLINT NEAR DURAND. THESE THUNDERSTORMS WERE PART OF A LARGE AREA THAT EXTENDED TO WEST OF LANSING. AT 225 PM THE PUBLIC REPORTED VERY HEAVY RAIN...STRONG WIND AND PEA SIZE HAIL NEA^R DURAND. HEAVY RAIN...STRONG GUSTY WIND AND SMALL HAIL ALONG WITH FLOODING OF LOW LYING AREAS AND UNDERPASSES CAN BE EXPECTED AS THESE THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUE TO MOVE TOWARDS THE EAST AT 45 MPH. BURNEY
Special weather statement, Sep 29, 5:25 PM EDT, 2 hours 29 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ANN ARBOR MI 520 PM EDT MON SEP 29 1986 ...TORNADO WATCH FOR SOUTH LOWER MICHIGAN UNTIL 11 PM EDT... AT 5 PM EDT RADAR SHOWED A NARROW BAND OF HEAVY PRECIPITATION EXTENDING FROM NEAR BENTON HARBOR NORTH THROUGH HOLLAND AND THE AREA JUST EAST OF MUSKEGON AND INTO NEWAYGO COUNTY. THUS FAR ONLY TORRENTIAL RAINS HAVE BEEN REPORTED WITH THIS BAND... BUT FURTHER INTENSIFICATION MAY OCCUR . PRESENT MOVEMENT IS TOWARD THE EAST NORTHEAST AT AROUND 45 MPH. THE HEAVIEST RAINFALL WILL REACH THE GRAND RAPIDS AREA BETWEEN 530 AND 600 PM EDT. HUGHES
Special weather statement, Sep 29, 7:17 PM EDT, 37 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ANN ARBOR MI 520 PM EDT MON SEP 29 1986 ...TORNADO WATCH FOR SOUTH LOWER MICHIGAN UNTIL 11 PM EDT... AT 7 PM EDT RADAR SHOWED A BAND OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS EXTENDING FROM NEAR SAGINAW THROUGH LANSING TO NEAR COLDWATER. IN ADDITION TO TORRENTIAL RAINS...GOLFBALL SIZED HAIL AND WIND GUSTS IN EXCESS OF 50 MPH HAVE BEEN REPORTED WITH THESE STORMS. PRESENT MOVEMENT IS TOWARD THE EAST NORTHEAST AT 45 MPH. THESE STORMS WILL MOVE INTO THE FLINT AND JACKSON AREAS BETWEEN 715 AND 745 PM EDT. A SECOND AREA OF HEAVY STORMS EXTENDED FROM EXTREME SOUTHERN LAKE MICHIGAN SOUTHWEST INTO EASTERN ILLINOIS. PRESENT MOVEMENT WILL CARRY THESE STORMS INTO EXTREME SOUTHERN LOWER MICHIGAN LATER THIS EVENING. HUGHES
Special weather statement, Sep 29, 7:31 PM EDT, 23 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FLINT MI
730 PM EDT SEPTEMBER 29 1986
...HEAVY THUNDERSTORMS..HIGH WINDS..AND FUNNEL CLOUDS REPORTED
IN SHIAWASSEE COUNTY...Special weather statement, Sep 29, 7:38 PM EDT, 16 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FLINT MI
730 PM EDT SEPTEMBER 29 1986
...HEAVY THUNDERSTORMS..HIGH WINDS..AND FUNNEL CLOUDS REPORTED
IN SHIAWASSEE COUNTY...
SHERIFFS DEPARTMENT PERSONNEL IN SHIASASSEE COUNTY REPORT HEAVY
THUBDERSTORMS..FREQUENT DANGEROUS LIGHTNING..AND TWO REPORTS
OF FUNNEL CLOUDS NEAR THE TOWN OF MORRIS IN SHIAWASSEE COUNTY.
RADAR INDICATES A LINE OF HEAVY THUNDERSTORMS MOVING THROUGH THE
COUNTY IN A NORTHEASTERLY DIRECTION AT THIS TIME. THE STORMS ARE
NOW ENTERING THE FLUSHING AREA IN WESTERN GENESEE COUNTY AS
REPORTED BY SPOTTERS. THE STORMS ARE MOVING NORTHEAST AT 45 MILES
AN HOUR.
PERSONS IN THE PATH OF THIS STORM SHOULD STAY ALERT FOR THREATENING
WEATHER AS THERE IS A POTENTIAL FOR THE FORMATION OF TORNADOES..
LARGE HAIL..DAMAGING WINDS..AND VERY HEAVY RAINS WITH THIS STORM.
A TORNADO WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 1100 PM EDT THIS EVENING
FOR GENESEE..LAPEER AND SHIAWASSEE COUNTIES..A FLOOD WARNING IS IN
EFFECT FOR THE FLINT RIVER..AND A FLASH FLOOD WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT
UNTIL 800 PM EDT TUESDAY EVENING.
PERSONS ARE URGED TO STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO..OR LOCAL
TELEVISION AND COMMERCIAL RADIO STATIONS FOR FURTHER UPDATES
DICKSThe office that day
Everything else NWS Detroit, MI issued on the same UTC day.
| Issued | Product | Office | Counties | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 29, 12:29 AM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | DTX | Genesee, Shiawassee | 61 min |
| Sep 29, 1:05 AM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | DTX | Oakland, Washtenaw | 55 min |
| Sep 29, 2:33 AM EDT | Tornado Warning | DTX | Macomb, Saint Clair | 42 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; verification from NCEI's Storm Data; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive.