Alert archive / Michigan / Tornado Warnings in 1992

Tornado Warning 1, NWS Detroit, MI

April 16, 1992Oakland County, Wayne County, Michigan

NWS Detroit, MI issued this tornado warning at Apr 16, 1992, 4:22 PM EDT for Oakland County, Wayne County, Michigan. It was in force for 23 min.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued
Apr 16, 1992, 4:22 PM EDT (20:22 UTC)
Expired
Apr 16, 1992, 4:45 PM EDT
In force
23 min
Issued by
NWS Detroit, MI
Area
Whole counties

Counties Oakland County, MI, Wayne County, MI

The nearest sounding before it

Detroit, MI (KFNT), launched 12:00Z, 8.4 hours before the alert went out and 29 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 12:00Z on 1992-04-16Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 0 joules per kilogram.LCL10008507005003002001001 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 12:00Z on 1992-04-16The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 312 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
0 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
No buoyant parcel
Mixed-layer LCL
502 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
44 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
312 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
372 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 162022
TORDTW
MIC125-163-162100-

BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED/EBS ACTIVATION REQUESTED 
TORNADO WARNING 
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DETROIT MI
422 PM EDT THU APR 16 1992

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS ISSUED A TORNADO WARNING 
EFFECTIVE UNTIL 500 PM EDT FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING 
COUNTIES

   IN THE SOUTHEAST PART OF LOWER MICHIGAN
      SOUTHERN OAKLAND...NORTHERN WAYNE

AT 418 PM EDT RADAR INDICATED AND POLICE CONFIRMED A TORNADO NEAR
TERRITORIAL AND RIDGE ROADS IN NORTHWEST WAYNE COUNTY...25 MILES
WEST OF DOWNTOWN DETROIT...OR JUST WEST OF PLYMOUTH. THE TORNADO
WAS MOVING EAST NORTHEAST AT 45 MILES AN HOUR AND WILL HIT LIVONIA
IN WAYNE COUNTY AND OAK PARK IN OAKLAND COUNTY BY 440 PM. PERSONS
IN THESE TOWNS SHOULD TAKE COVER NOW!!

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.

IF YOU ARE CAUGHT OUTSIDE...FIND SHELTER IN A NEARBY REINFORCED
BUILDING.  AS A LAST RESORT...TAKE SHELTER IN A CULVERT...DITCH...
OR LOW SPOT AND COVER YOUR HEAD WITH YOUR HANDS.

 HARTFIELD/WATTS

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, Apr 16, 3:11 PM EDT, 1 hour 11 minutes before
MIZ008>036-162100-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ANN ARBOR MI
310 PM EDT WED APR 15 1992

...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH NUMBER 137 REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR PARTS
OF SOUTHEAST LOWER MICHIGAN UNTIL 900 PM EDT...

AT 310 PM EDT... A LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS WAS LOCATED FROM JUST WEST
OF FLINT TO 15 MILES WEST OF ANN ARBOR. THIS LINE WAS MOVING EAST AT
40 MILES AN HOUR... AND WILL ARRIVE IN THE METRO DETROIT AREA
BETWEEN 400 AND 500 PM EDT.

A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR PARTS OF SOUTHEAST
LOWER MICHIGAN UNTIL 900 PM EDT. AS THUNDERSTORMS MOVE THROUGH THE
WATCH AREA... LARGE HAIL...DAMAGING WINDS... AND DEADLY LIGHTNING
ARE POSSIBLE OVER THE REST OF THIS AFTEpRNOON AND EARLY THIS EVENING.

PLEASE STAY TUNED TO NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WEATHER RADIO FOR THE
LATEST STATEMENTS AND POSSIBLE WARNINGS.

WAGENMAKER
Special weather statement, Apr 16, 3:28 PM EDT, 54 minutes before
MIZ019-021-024-027>030-035-162020-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND SOUTHEAST LOWER MICHIGAN SHORT-RANGE
WEATHER FORECAST
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DETROIT MI
326 PM EDT THU APR 16 1992

...THUNDERSTORMS ARE MOVING ACROSS SOUTHEAST LOWER MICHIGAN...

AT 322 PM...A LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS...SOME PRODUCING SMALL HAIL...DANGEROUS
LIGHTNING...HEAVY RAIN...AND STRONG GUSTY WINDS...STRETCHED FROM HARTLAND IN
LIVINGSTON COUNTY...ABOUT 5 MILES NORTH OF BRIGHTON...ACROSS ANN ARBOR IN
WASHTENAW COUNTY TO BLISSFIELD IN LENAWEE COUNTY...ABOUT 5 MILES SOUTHEAST OF
ADRIAN. THIS LINE OF STORMS WAS MOVING EAST AT 40 MILES AN HOUR AND WILL
HIT YPSILANTI IN WAYNE COUNTY BY 345 PM...AND PONTIAC IN OAKLAND COUNTY...
LIVONIA IN WAYNE COUNTY...AND DUNDEE IN MONROE COUNTY BY 405 PM.

IF YOU MUST DRIVE DURING THESE STORMS...DO NOT DRIVE THROUGH AREAS WHERE
WATER COVERS THE ROAD. IF CAUGHT OUTSIDE DURING A THUNDERSTORM...MOVE TO A
STRONG BUILDING. STAY INSIDE AND AWAY FROM WINDOWS AND DO NOT USE TELEPHONES
OR ELECTRICAL APPLIANCES UNTIL THE STORM HAS PASSED.

HARTFIELD
Special weather statement, Apr 16, 3:44 PM EDT, 38 minutes before
MIZ026-031>034-036>038-042-162200-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND SHORT RANGE WEATHER FORECAST
FOR EAST CENTRAL LOWER MICHIGAN
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FLINT MI
340 PM EDT THUR APR 16 1992

...THUNDERSTORMS MOVING OVER EAST CENTRAL LOWER MICHIGAN...

AT 335 PM EDT...A LINE OF RAIN SHOWERES AND ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS
EXTENDED FROM SAGINAW BAY SOUTH THROUGH FLINT AND DETROIT. NO SEVERE
WEATHER HAS BEEN REPORTED...HOWEVER SOME HEAVY RAIN...GUSTY WINDS
AND DANGEROUS LIGHTING CAN BE EXPECTED WITH THESE STORMS AS THEY
PASS OVERHEAD. MOVEMENT OF THESE STORMS WAS TO THE EAST AT 45 MILES
AN HOUR.
IF YOU ARE CAUGHT IN A THUNDRSTORM...MOVE TO A STRONG BUILDING.
STAY INSIDE AND AWAY FROM WINDOWS AND DO NOT USE TELEPHONES OR
ELECTRICAL APPLIANCES UNTIL THE STORM PASSED.

STAY TUNED TO NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WEATHER RADIO..OR LOCAL
RADIO OR TELEVISION STATION...FOR THE LATEST WEATHER INFORMATION
...FORECAST...AND AND WARNING.

THIES
Special weather statement, Apr 16, 3:47 PM EDT, 35 minutes before
MIZ026-031>034-036>038-042-162200-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND SHORT RANGE WEATHER FORECAST
FOR EAST CENTRAL LOWER MICHIGAN
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FLINT MI
345 PM EDT THUR APR 16 1992

...THUNDERSTORMS MOVING OVER EAST CENTRAL LOWER MICHIGAN...

AT 335 PM EDT...A LINE OF RAIN SHOWERES AND ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS
EXTENDED FROM SAGINAW BAY SOUTH THROUGH FLINT AND DETROIT. NO SEVERE
WEATHER HAS BEEN REPORTED...HOWEVER SOME HEAVY RAIN...GUSTY WINDS
AND DANGEROUS LIGHTING CAN BE EXPECTED WITH THESE STORMS AS THEY
PASS OVERHEAD. MOVEMENT OF THESE STORMS WAS TO THE EAST AT 45 MILES
AN HOUR.
IF YOU ARE CAUGHT IN A THUNDERSTORM...MOVE TO A STRONG BUILDING.
STAY INSIDE AND AWAY FROM WINDOWS AND DO NOT USE TELEPHONES OR
ELECTRICAL APPLIANCES UNTIL THE STORM PASSED.

STAY TUNED TO NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WEATHER RADIO..OR LOCAL
RADIO OR TELEVISION STATION...FOR THE LATEST WEATHER INFORMATION
...FORECAST...AND AND WARNING.

THIES/TYPOd 2ND PARA
Special weather statement, Apr 16, 4:08 PM EDT, 14 minutes before
MIZ019-021-024-027>030-035-162045-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND SOUTHEAST LOWER MICHIGAN SHORT-RANGE
WEATHER FORECAST
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DETROIT MI
406 PM EDT THU APR 16 1992

...THUNDERSTORMS ARE MOVING ACROSS SOUTHEAST LOWER MICHIGAN...

AT 400 PM...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS...SOME PRODUCING SMALL HAIL...DANGEROUS
LIGHTNING...HEAVY RAIN...AND STRONG GUSTY WINDS...STRETCHED FROM ARMADA IN
MACOMB COUNTY...ACROSS THE WESTERN DETROIT SUBURB OF LIVONIA...TO DUNDEE IN
MONROE COUNTY. THE STRONGEST STORMS WERE OVER ROMULUS IN WAYNE COUNTY...18 MILESSOUTHWEST OF DOWNTOWN DETROIT...AND OVER LIVONIA IN WAYNE COUNTY...17 MILES
WEST OF DOWNTOWN DETROIT. THESE STORMS WERE MOVING EAST AT 45 MILES AN HOUR
AND WILL HIT THE CITY OF DETROIT BY 440 PM.

IF YOU MUST DRIVE DURING THESE STORMS...DO NOT DRIVE THROUGH AREAS WHERE
WATER COVERS THE ROAD. IF CAUGHT OUTSIDE DURING A THUNDERSTORM...MOVE TO A
STRONG BUILDING. STAY INSIDE AND AWAY FROM WINDOWS AND DO NOT USE TELEPHONES
OR ELECTRICAL APPLIANCES UNTIL THE STORM HAS PASSED. BE AWARE THAT HEAVY RAIN
AND DEADLY LIGHTNING ARE POSSIBLE WITH THESE STORMS.

STAY TUNED TO NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WEATHER RADIO FOR THE LATEST
UPDATES ON THIS STORM SITUATION.

HARTFIELD
Special weather statement, Apr 16, 4:18 PM EDT, 4 minutes before
MIZ008>036-162200-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ANN ARBOR MI
415 PM EDT THU APR 16 1992

...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH NUMBER 137 REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR
EXTREME SOUTHEAST LOWER MICHIGAN UNTIL 900 PM EDT...

AT 400 PM EDT... A LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS WAS MOVING THROUGH EXTREME
SOUTHEAST LOWER MICHIGAN. THE LINE WAS MOVING EAST AROUND 45 MPH AND
WILL MOVE OUT OF SOUTHEAST LOWER MICHIGAN BY AROUND 500 PM EDT.

A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR THE FOLLOWING
COUNTIES OF SOUTHEAST LOWER MICHIGAN...
LENAWEE...MONROE...WASHTENAW...WAYNE...OAKLAND...MACOMB...LAPEER AND
ST CLAIR. ALL OTHER COUNTIES PREVIOUSLY IN THE WATCH AREA HAVE BEEN
CLEARED FROM THE WATCH. PERSONS IN THE WATCH AREA CAN EXPECT THE
POSSIBILITY OF LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS...IN ADDITION TO THE
DANGERS OF LIGHTNING.

PLEASE STAY TUNED TO NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WEATHER RADIO FOR THE
LATEST STATEMENTS AND POSSIBLE WARNINGS.

DWD

Nearby

Tornado Warnings in Michigan, 1992Every tornado warning in 1992Tornadoes in 1992

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.