Alert archive / Michigan / Tornado Warnings in 1991
Tornado Warning 4, NWS Detroit, MI
NWS Detroit, MI issued this tornado warning at Jul 7, 1991, 8:48 PM EDT for Oakland County, Michigan. It was in force for 27 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
- Jul 7, 1991, 8:48 PM EDT (00:48 UTC)
- Expired
- Jul 7, 1991, 9:15 PM EDT
- In force
- 27 min
- Issued by
- NWS Detroit, MI
- Area
- Whole counties
County Oakland County, MI
What was reported inside it
| Time | Report | Where | Remark |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 7, 9:15 PM EDT | Thunderstorm Wind 52 | Oakland, 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 00:00Z, 0.8 hours before the alert went out and 8 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
- 1102 J/kg
- Mixed-layer CIN
- -12 J/kg
- Mixed-layer LCL
- 1632 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 30 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- 46 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 153 m²/s²
- Significant tornado parameter
- 0.1
- Supercell composite
- 4.3
The text
As transmitted, in the capitals the NWS used until 2016.
000
TTAA00 KDTW 080048
TORDTW
MIC125-080115-
BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED/EBS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DETROIT MI
848 PM EDT SUN JUL 7 1991
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS ISSUED A TORNADO WARNING
EFFECTIVE UNTIL 915 PM EDT FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING COUNTY
IN THE SOUTHEAST PART OF LOWER MICHIGAN
OAKLAND
AT 840 PM...SEVERAL SKYWARN SPOTTERS AND LOCAL POLICE HAD
REPORTED SEVERAL FUNNEL CLOUDS THROUGHOUT OAKLAND COUNTY.
RESIDENTS IN OAKLAND COUNTY SHOULD TAKE IMMEDIATELY AS THESE
DANGEROUS STORMS MOVE EAST AT 50 MILES AN HOUR.
IF YOU ARE IN THE PATH OF A TORNADO...THE SAFEST PLACE TO BE IS IN
A BASEMENT. GET UNDER A WORKBENCH OR PIECE OF STURDY FURNITURE.
IF NO BASEMENT IS AVAILABLE...FIND SHELTER IN AN INTERIOR ROOM
SUCH AS A CLOSET ON THE LOWEST FLOOR. USE BLANKETS...PILLOWS...
OR CUSHIONS TO COVER YOUR BODY. AVOID WINDOWS.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, Jul 7, 5:29 PM EDT, 3 hours 19 minutes before
MIZALL-080000- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ANN ARBOR MI 527 PM EDT SUN JUL 7 1991 ...A TORNADO WATCH IS IN EFFECT FROM 530 PM TO 1100 PM EDT TONIGHT FOR MOST OF THE SOUTH HALF OF THE LOWER MICHIGAN PENINSULA... THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS ISSUED A TORNADO WATCH...NUMBER 656... FOR MOST OF THE SOUTH HALF OF THE LOWER MICHIGAN PENINSULA. THIS WATCH INCLUDES THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES...OCEANA...NEWAYGO...MECOSTA...ISABELLA ...MIDLAND...BAY...HURON...MUSKEGON...MONTCALM...GRATIOT...SAGINAW... TUSCOLA...SANILAC...OTTAWA...KENT...IONIA...CLINTON...SHIAWASEE... GENESEE...LAPEER...ST CLAIR...ALLEGAN...BARRY...EATON...INGHAM... LIVINGSTON...OAKLAND...MACOMB...VAN BUREN...KALAMAZOO...CALHOUN... JACKSON...WASHTENAW...WAYNE...BERRIEN...CASS...ST JOSEPH...BRANCH... HILLSDALE...LENAWEE...AND MONROE. IT ALSO INCLUDES THE ADJACENT COASTAL WATERS OF LAKE MICHIGAN...SOUTHERN LAKE HURON...LAKE ST CLAIR...AND LAKE HURON. MAJOR TOWNS AND CITIES INCLUDED IN THIS TORNADO WATCH ARE...MUSKEGON ...GRAND RAPIDS...KALAMAZOO...BATTLE CREEK...LANSING...SAGINAW...FLINT ...ANN ARBOR AND THE GREATER DETROIT METROPOLITAN AREA. A NORTH CENTRAL PLAINS STORM SYSTEM...AND COLD FRONT IS MOVING EAST INTO THE LOWER MICHIGAN PENINSULA LATE THIS SUNDAY AFTERNOON. MANY SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS AND A FEW TORNADOES HAVE ALREADY OCCURED WEST OF LOWER MICHIGAN EARLIER TODAY WITH THIS STORM SYSTEM. AS SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS APPROACH TONIGHT...REMEMBER THAT TORNADOES ARE POSSIBLE AND TAKE SHELTER IMMEDIATELY. GO TO THE LOWEST FLOOR AND INNER MOST ROOM OF YOUR HOME OR BUILDING. STAY AWAY FROM WINDOWS AND EXTERIOR WALLS OF YOUR HOME. DAMAGING GUSTY HIGH WINDS...LARGE HAIL AND DEADLY LIGHTNING OCCUR WITH SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS. TORNADOES HAVE EVEN HIGHER WINDS WHICH CAN QUICKLY DAMAGE OR DESTROY...HOMES AND CARS. STAY TUNED TO YOUR NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE...WEATHER RADIO TONIGHT FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONCERNING THIS DANGEROGUS STORM SITUATION.
Special weather statement, Jul 7, 5:50 PM EDT, 2 hours 58 minutes before
MIZ026-031>034-036>038-042-072245- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FLINT MI 550 PM EDT SUN JUL 7 1991 ...TORNADO WATCH FOR EAST CENTRAL MICHIGAN UNTIL 1100 PM EDT... A TORNADO WATCH HAS BEEN ISSUED FOR ALL OF SOUTHERN LOWER MICHIGAN... INCLUDING THE TRI CITIES REGION AND FLINT...UNTIL 11 PM. A TORNADO WATCH MEANS CONDITIONS ARE FAVORABLE FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF TORNADIC SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS. IF A TORNADO IS ACTUALLY SIGHTED...A TORNADO WARNING WILL BE ISSUED. IF YOU ARE IN THE PATH OF A TORNADO...THE BEST COURSE OF ACTION IS TO GO TO THE LOWEST FLOOR AND INNER MOST ROOM OF YOUR HOME OR BUILDING. STAY AWAY FROM WINDOWS AND EXTERIOR WALLS OF YOUR HOME. AT 545 PM...RADAR INDICATED VERY STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WERE RACING EAST ACROSS SOUTHERN LAKE MICHIGAN AT 50 MPH. THESE STORMS WILL BE MOVING ACROSS PARTS OF WESTERN LOWER MICHIGAN BETWEEN 6 AND 8 PM...AND MAY REACH EAST CENTRAL MICHIGAN AFTER 8 PM. STAY TUNED TO THIS STATION FOR THE LATEST STATEMENTS AND POSSIBLE WARNINGS ON THIS POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS SITUATION. YORK
Special weather statement, Jul 7, 6:33 PM EDT, 2 hours 15 minutes before
MIC091-093-099-115-125-147-161-163-070650- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DETROIT MI 632 PM EDT SUN JUL 07 1991 ...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS MOVING INTO SOUTHWEST LOWER MICHIGAN... AT 625 PM...AN AREA OF SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS...WITH VERY HEAVY RAIN...HAD NEWLY DEVELOPED OVER PARTS OF WEST CENTRAL AND SOUTHWEST LOWER MICHIGAN AND OVER SOUTHERN LAKE MICHIGAN. THE STRONGEST STORM WAS LOCATED OVER GRAND RAPIDS MICHIGAN. LARGE HAIL...DAMAGING WINDS AND DANGEROUS LIGHTNING ARE POSSIBLE AS THESE STORMS PASS OVERHEAD. PEOPLE IN THE PATH OF THESE STORMS SHOULD BE PREPARED TO MOVE TO A PLACE OF SAFETY IF THREATENING WEATHER OCCURS. MOVEMENT WAS TO THE EAST AT w45 MILES AN HOUR.
Special weather statement, Jul 7, 6:51 PM EDT, 1 hour 57 minutes before
MIZ026-031>034-036>038-042-072350- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FLINT MI 650 PM EDT SUN JUL 7 1991 ...TORNADO WATCH FOR EAST CENTRAL MICHIGAN UNTIL 1100 PM EDT... AT 648 PM...WEATHER RADAR INDICATED AN AREA OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS OVER WESTERN LOWER MICHIGAN...MAINLY FROM THE GRAND RAPIDS AREA WEST. THESE STORMS WERE MOVING TOWARD THE EAST AT ABOUT 45 MPH...AND THEY MAY REACH SHIAWASSEE AND SAGINAW COUNTIES AROUND 9 PM. THESE STORMS HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO BECOME SEVERE...PRODUCING LARGE HAIL...DAMAGING WINDS...AND EVEN A TORNADO. PERSONS IN SHIAWASSEE AND SAGINAW COUNTIES SHOULD BE ALERT TO THE APPROACH OF THESE STORMS AND LISTEN FOR LATER STATEMENTS AND POSSIBLE WARNINGS. A TORNADO WATCH MEANS CONDITIONS ARE FAVORABLE FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF TORNADOES...WHILE A TORNADO WARNING MEANS A TORNADO HAS FORMED. IF YOU ARE IN THE PATH OF A TORNADO...THE BEST COURSE OF ACTION IS TO GO TO THE LOWEST FLOOR AND INNER MOST ROOM OF YOUR HOME OR BUILDING. STAY AWAY FROM WINDOWS AND EXTERIOR WALLS OF YOUR HOME. STAY TUNED TO THIS STATION FOR THE LATEST STATEMENTS AND POSSIBLE WARNINGS ON THIS POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS SITUATION. YORK
Special weather statement, Jul 7, 7:26 PM EDT, 1 hour 22 minutes before
MIZ026-031>034-036>038-042-080015- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FLINT MI 725 PM EDT SUN JUL 7 1991 ...TORNADO WATCH FOR EAST CENTRAL MICHIGAN UNTIL 1100 PM EDT... AT 723 PM...WEATHER RADAR INDICATED AN AREA OF VERY STRONG TO SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS BETWEEN GRAND RAPIDS AND LANSING...MOVING EAST AT ABOUT 45 MPH. VERY STRONG DAMAGING WINDS AND LARGE HAIL HAVE BEEN REPORTED WITH THESE STORMS IN THE GRAND RAPIDS AREA. THE STORMS WILL BE MOVING INTO WESTERN PARTS OF SHIAWASSEE...SAGINAW...AND MIDLAND COUNTIES AROUND 8 PM. THEY SHOULD REACH GENESEE AND BAY COUNTIES AROUND 9 PM...AND PROCEED ACROSS THE THUMB AREA AFTER 9 PM. A TORNADO WATCH MEANS CONDITIONS ARE FAVORABLE FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF TORNADOES...WHILE A TORNADO WARNING MEANS A TORNADO HAS FORMED. IF YOU ARE IN THE PATH OF A TORNADO...THE BEST COURSE OF ACTION IS TO GO TO THE LOWEST FLOOR AND INNER MOST ROOM OF YOUR HOME OR BUILDING. STAY AWAY FROM WINDOWS AND EXTERIOR WALLS OF YOUR HOME. REMEMBER THAT SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS CAN PRODUCE VERY STRONG DAMAGING WINDS CAPABLE OF DAMAGING BUILDINGS. STAY TUNED TO THIS STATION FOR THE LATEST STATEMENTS AND POSSIBLE WARNINGS ON THIS POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS SITUATION. YORK
Special weather statement, Jul 7, 7:32 PM EDT, 1 hour 16 minutes before
MIC091-093-099-115-125-147-161-163-070650- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DETROIT MI 732 PM EDT SUN JUL 07 1991 AT 725 PM...AN AREA OF SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS...WITH VERY HEAVY RAIN...WERE NOTED OVER PARTS OF SOUTHWEST AND SOUTH CENTRAL LOWER MICHIGAN AND SOUTHERN LAKE MICHIGAN. THE STRONGEST STORMS WERE LOCATED 20 MILES SOUTHWEST OF LANSING WITH OTHERS 30 MILES NORTH OF BATLE CREEK AND 10 MILES SOUTHWEST OF KALAMAZOO. LARGE HAIL...DAMAGING WINDS AND DANGEROUS LIGHTNING ARE POSSIBLE AS THESE STORMS PASS OVERHEAD. PEOPLE IN THE PATH OF THESE STORMS SHOULD BE PREPARED TO MOVE TO A PLACE OF SAFETY IF THREATENING WEATHER OCCURS. MOVEMENT WAS TO THE EAST AT 45 MILES AN HOUR.
The office that day
Everything else NWS Detroit, MI issued on the same UTC day.
| Issued | Product | Office | Counties | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 7, 8:00 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | DTX | Genesee, Saginaw | 30 min |
| Jul 7, 8:08 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | DTX | Bay, Midland, Saginaw | 37 min |
| Jul 7, 8:20 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | DTX | Lapeer, Tuscola | 40 min |
| Jul 7, 8:37 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | DTX | Oakland | 68 min |
| Jul 7, 8:43 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | DTX | Washtenaw | 62 min |
| Jul 7, 8:54 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | DTX | Lenawee, Monroe, Wayne | 66 min |
| Jul 7, 8:54 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | DTX | Macomb, Saint Clair | 66 min |
| Jul 7, 8:58 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | DTX | Sanilac, Tuscola | 47 min |
| Jul 7, 9:39 PM EDT | Tornado Warning | DTX | Monroe | 36 min |
Nearby
Tornado Warnings in Michigan, 1991Every tornado warning in 1991Tornadoes in 1991
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.