Alert archive / Michigan / Tornado Warnings in 1992

Tornado Warning 9, NWS Detroit, MI

June 17, 1992Washtenaw County, Wayne County, Michigan

NWS Detroit, MI issued this tornado warning at Jun 17, 1992, 8:54 PM EDT for Washtenaw County, Wayne County, Michigan. It was in force for 36 min.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued
Jun 17, 1992, 8:54 PM EDT (00:54 UTC)
Expired
Jun 17, 1992, 9:30 PM EDT
In force
36 min
Issued by
NWS Detroit, MI
Area
Whole counties

Counties Washtenaw County, MI, Wayne County, MI

The nearest sounding before it

Detroit, MI (KFNT), launched 00:00Z, 0.9 hours before the alert went out and 51 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 1992-06-18Temperature 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°10°20°30°40°
Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.
HodographHodograph, Detroit, MI at 00:00Z on 1992-06-18The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity -105 square meters per square second.19395878Sfc1 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
685 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
56 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
-105 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
126 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.4

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
TTAA00 KDTW 180054
TORDTW
MIC161-163-180130-

BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED/EBS ACTIVATION REQUESTED 
TORNADO WARNING 
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DETROIT MI
854 PM EDT WED JUN 17 1992

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS ISSUED A TORNADO WARNING 
EFFECTIVE UNTIL 930 PM EDT FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING 
COUNTIES

   IN THE SOUTHEAST PART OF LOWER MICHIGAN
      EASTERN WASHTENAW...WESTERN WAYNE

AT 850 PM EDT...RADAR SHOWED A FUNNEL CLOUD OVER EASTERN WASHTENAW
...NEAR US-23/M-14...JUST NORTHEAST OF ANN ARBOR. ALSO ANOTHER
TORNADO WAS REPORTED NEAR DEXTER...ABOUT 10 MILES NORTH OF ANN
ARBOR.
THE FIRST STORM WILL HIT IN THE PLYMOUTH AND PLYMOUTH TOWNSHIP
AROUND 855PM AND BE IN THE LIVONIA AREA AROUND 910 PM...WHILE
THE SECOND WILL MOVE ACROSS NORTH OF ANN ARBOR AREA AROUND 910PM.

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.

THIS IS A DANGEROUS STORM SITUATION.  ACT QUICKLY.  IF YOU ARE
IN THE PATH OF THIS TORNADO MOVE TO A SHcELTER BELOW GROUND IF
AVAILABLE.  OTHERWISE...GO TO A SMALL INTERIOR ROOM ON THE LOWEST
FLOOR POSSIBLE.  AVOID WINDOWS.  ABANDON CARS AND MOBILE HOMES...
TAKE COVER IN A REINFORCED BUILDING OR GET INTO A DITCH OR CULVERT.

 DEEDLER

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, Jun 17, 4:54 PM EDT, 4 hours before
MIZ019-021-024-027>030-035-172300-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DETROIT MI
450 PM EDT WED JUN 17 1992

...STRONG SOUTHERLY WINDS BLOWING ACROSS SOUTHEAST LOWER MICHIGAN...

AT 445 PM...SOUTHERLY WINDS WERE BLOWING AT 20 TO 30 MILES AN HOUR
ACROSS ALL OF SOUTHEAST LOWER MICHIGAN...WITH SOME GUSTS TO 40 MILES
AN HOUR REPORTED.  THESE WINDS WERE AHEAD OF A STRONG COLD FRONT THAT
WAS LOCATED FROM WESTERN UPPER MICHIGAN SOUTH TO ILLINOIS AND MISSOURI.

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS RECEIVED REPORTS OF DOWNED POWER LINES
AND POWER OUTAGES FROM WASHTENAW COUNTY AND FROM THE WESTERN DETROIT
SUBURBS.  ALSO...A TOWER WAS REPORTED BLOWN DOWN IN SHELBY TOWNSHIP
IN MACOMB COUNTY.

PEOPLE DRIVING DURING THE LATE AFTERNOON SHOULD USE EXTRA CAUTION
DUE TO THE WINDS...ESPECIALLY THOSE DRIVING HIGH PROFILE VEHICLES.
ALSO...HOMEOWNERS NEED TO BE SURE TO SECURE OUTSIDE OBJECTS.
.
THE STRONG WINDS WILL LIKELY CONTINUE UNTIL SU}NSET.

RIDDLE
Special weather statement, Jun 17, 6:01 PM EDT, 2 hours 53 minutes before
MIZ026-031>034-036>038-042-172300-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FLINT MI
600 PM EDT WED JUN 17 1992

...STRONG SOUTH WINDS GUSTING UP TO 60 MPH OVER EAST CENTRAL LOWER
MICHIGAN...

STRONG SOUTH WINDS WERE RAKING EAST CENTRAL LOWER MICHIGAN LATE THIS
AFTERNOON. A WIND GUST TO 62 MPH WAS MEASURED NEAR SAGINAW AT ABOUT
4 PM. REPORTS OF TREES AND TREE LIMBS DOWN HAVE BEEN RECEIVED IN THE
FLINT AREA. SOME OF THESE TREE LIMBS HAVE BROUGHT DOWN POWER LINES.
AT BISHOP AIRPORT IN FLINT...WINDS HAVE BEEN GUSTING AS HIGH AS 44 MPH
SINCE 4 PM.

THESE STRONG WINDS WERE OCCURRING AHEAD OF A LINE OF POWERFUL
THUNDERSTORMS THAT EXTENDED FROM ABOUT 40 MILES NORTHWEST OF SAGINAW
TO NEAR GRAND RAPIDS AT 6 PM. THIS LINE HAS PRODUCED DAMAGING WINDS
AND ISOLATED TORNADOES ACROSS NORTHERN AND WESTERN LOWER MICHIGAN.
THIS LINE MAY MOVE THROUGH THE REST OF LOWER MICHIGAN THIS EVENING.
RESIDENTS OF EAST CENTRAL LOWER MICHIGAN ARE URGED TO STAY TUNED
TO LOCAL RADIO OR TELEVISION OR NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RADIO
FOR POSSIBLE WATCHES AND WARNINGS.

YORK
Special weather statement, Jun 17, 6:45 PM EDT, 2 hours 9 minutes before
MIZ001>083-180100-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ANN ARBOR MI
645 PM EDT WED JUN 17 1992

...A TORNADO WATCH HAS BEEN ISSUED FOR SOUTHEAST LOWER MICHIGAN UNTIL
11 PM TONIGHT...

TORNADO WATCH NUMBER 393 HAS BEEN ISSUED FOR SOUTHEAST LOWER MICHIGAN.
THIS WATCH IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 11 PM EDT.  COMBINED WITH THE OTHER
TORNADO WATCHES ALREADY IN EFFECT...THIS MEANS THAT THE ENTIRE STATE
OF MICHIGAN IN UNDER A TORNADO WATCH.

AT 620 PM A LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS EXTENDED FROM EASTERN UPPER MICHIGAN
NEAR SAULT STE MARIE...THROUGH NORTHEAST LOWER MICHIGAN WEST OF ALPENA
...TO SOUTHWEST LOWER NEAR KALAMAZOO.  INDIVIDUAL STORMS IN THIS LINE
WERE MOVING NORTHEAST AT 50 MILES AN HOUR.

THERE HAVE BEEN NUMEROUS REPORTS OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS AND TORNADOES
IN NORTHERN AND WESTERN LOWER MICHIGAN.  THE UNSTABLE AIR OVER
SOUTHEAST LOWER MICHIGAN WILL CONTINUE TO SUPPORT SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS
...AND POSSIBLY TORNADOES...THROUGH THE EVENING.

IF A TORNADO WARNING IS ISSUED FOR YOUR AREA...DO NOT TAKE CHANCES.
TAKE COVER IMMEDIATELY.  IF YOU ARE IN A MOBILE HOME WHEN A TORNADO
IS ISSUED...MOVE IMMEDIATELY TO A STURDY...PERMANENT SHELTER.  IF
NO SUCH SHELTER IS AVAILABLE...LIE- FLAT IN A DITCH OR DEPRESSION IN
THE GROUND.  ACT QUICKLY.  YOUR LIFE MAY DEPEND ON IT.

WTB
Special weather statement, Jun 17, 6:56 PM EDT, 1 hour 58 minutes before
MIZ001>083-180100-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT...CORRECTED EXPIRATION TIME OF THE WATCH
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ANN ARBOR MI
655 PM EDT WED JUN 17 1992

...A TORNADO WATCH HAS BEEN ISSUED FOR SOUTHEAST LOWER MICHIGAN UNTIL
MIDNIGHT TONIGHT...

TORNADO WATCH NUMBER 393 HAS BEEN ISSUED FOR SOUTHEAST LOWER MICHIGAN.
THIS WATCH IS IN EFFECT UNTIL MIDNIGHT.  COMBINED WITH THE OTHER
TORNADO WATCHES ALREADY IN EFFECT...THIS MEANS THAT THE ENTIRE STATE
OF MICHIGAN IS UNDER A TORNADO WATCH.

AT 620 PM A LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS EXTENDED FROM EASTERN UPPER MICHIGAN
NEAR SAULT STE MARIE...THROUGH NORTHEAST LOWER MICHIGAN WEST OF ALPENA
...TO SOUTHWEST LOWER NEAR KALAMAZOO.  INDIVIDUAL STORMS IN THIS LINE
WERE MOVING NORTHEAST AT 50 MILES AN HOUR.

THERE HAVE BEEN NUMEROUS REPORTS OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS AND TORNADOES
IN NORTHERN AND WESTERN LOWER MICHIGAN.  THE UNSTABLE AIR OVER
SOUTHEAST LOWER MICHIGAN WILL CONTINUE TO SUPPORT SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS
...AND POSSIBLY TORNADOES...THROUGH THE EVENING.

IF A TORNADO WARNING IS ISSUED FOR YOUR AREA...DO NOT TAKE CHANCES.
TAKE COVER IMMEDIATELY.  IF YOU ARE IN A MOBILE HOME WHEN A TORNADO
WARNING IS ISSUED...MOVE IMMEDIATELY TO A STURDY...PERJMANENT SHELTER. IF
NO SUCH SHELTER IS AVAILABLE...LIE FLAT IN A DITCH OR DEPRESSION IN
THE GROUND.  ACT QUICKLY.  YOUR LIFE MAY DEPEND ON IT.

WTB
Special weather statement, Jun 17, 8:04 PM EDT, 50 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ANN ARBOR MI
800 PM EDT WED JUN 17 1992

...TORNADO WATCHES CANCELLED FOR PORTIONS OF NORTHERN AND WESTERN
LOWER MICHIGAN AND EASTERN UPPER MICHIGAN...

PARTS OF 3 TORNADO WATCHES ISSUED THIS AFTERNOON ARE NO LONGER IN
EFFECT.  THE COUNTIES REMOVED FROM THE TORNADO WATCHES ARE...

LOWER MICHIGAN PENINSULA

EMMET...CHARLEVOIX...CHEBOYGAN...PRESQUE ISLE...
LEELANAU...ANTRIM...OTSEGO...MONTMORENCY...ALPENA...
BENZIE...GRAND TRAVERSE...KALKASKA...CRAWFORD...OSCODA...ALCONA...
MANISTEE...WEXFORD...MISSAUKEE...ROSCOMMON...OGEMAW...IOSCO...
MASON...LAKE...OSCEOLA...CLARE...GLADWIN...ARENAC...
OCEANA...NEWAYGO...MECOSTA...ISABELLA...
MUSKEGON...MONTCALM...GRATIOT...
OTTAWA...KENT...IONIA...
ALLEGAN...BARRY...
VAN BUREN...KALAMAZOO...
BERRIEN...CASS.

UPPER MICHIGAN PENINSULA

LUCE...MACKINAC...CHIPPEWA.

AT 745 PM EDT A LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS...SOME SEVERE...EXTENDED FROM
LAKE HURON...ACROSS THE THUMB OF LOWER MICHGAN...TO ST JOSEPH COUNTY
...SOUTH OF KALAMAZOO.  THE LINE WAS MOVING TOWARD THE EAST AT 30
MILES AN HOUR...WITH INDIVIDUAL STORMS IN THE LINE MOVING TOWARD
THE NORTHEAST AT 45 MILES AN HOUR.  SOME OF THESE THUNDERSTORMS HAVE
PRODUCED TORNADOES.

MUCH OF SOUTHEAST AND SOUTHCENTRAL LOWER MICHIGAN REMAINS IN A
TORNADO WATCH.  THE WATCH WILL CONTINUE IN EATON...BRANCH...CALHOUN
...AND ST JOSEPH COUNTIES UNTIL 9 PM.  ELSEWHERE...THE WATCH WILL
CONTINUE UNTIL MIDNIGHT.

WTB
Special weather statement, Jun 17, 8:07 PM EDT, 47 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT...CORRECTION...
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ANN ARBOR MI
800 PM EDT WED JUN 17 1992

...TORNADO WATCHES CANCELLED FOR PORTIONS OF NORTHERN AND WESTERN
LOWER MICHIGAN AND EASTERN UPPER MICHIGAN...

PARTS OF 3 TORNADO WATCHES ISSUED THIS AFTERNOON ARE NO LONGER IN
EFFECT.  THE COUNTIES REMOVED FROM THE TORNADO WATCHES ARE...

LOWER MICHIGAN PENINSULA

EMMET...CHARLEVOIX...CHEBOYGAN...PRESQUE ISLE...
LEELANAU...ANTRIM...OTSEGO...MONTMORENCY...ALPENA...
BENZIE...GRAND TRAVERSE...KALKASKA...CRAWFORD...OSCODA...ALCONA...
MANISTEE...WEXFORD...MISSAUKEE...ROSCOMMON...OGEMAW...IOSCO...
MASON...LAKE...OSCEOLA...CLARE...GLADWIN...ARENAC...
OCEANA...NEWAYGO...MECOSTA...ISABELLA...
MUSKEGON...MONTCALM...
OTTAWA...KENT...IONIA...
ALLEGAN...BARRY...
VAN BUREN...KALAMAZOO...
BERRIEN...CASS.

UPPER MICHIGAN PENINSULA

LUCE...MACKINAC...CHIPPEWA.

AT 745 PM EDT A LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS...SOME SEVERE...EXTENDED FROM
LAKE HURON...ACROSS THE THUMB OF LOWER MICHGAN...TO ST JOSEPH COUNTY
...SOUTH OF KALAMAZOO.  THE LINE WAS MOVING TOWARD THE EAST AT 30
MILES AN HOUR...WITH INDIVIDUAL STORMS IN THE LINE MOVING TOWARD
THE NORTHEAST AT 45 MILES AN HOUR.  SOME OF THESE THUNDERSTORMS HAVE
PRODUCED TORNADOES.

MUCH OF SOUTHEAST AND SOUTHCENTRAL LOWER MICHIGAN REMAINS IN A
TORNADO WATCH.  THE WATCH WILL CONTINUE IN EATON...BRANCH...CALHOUN
...AND ST JOSEPH COUNTIES UNTIL 9 PM.  ELSEWHERE...THE WATCH WILL
CONTINUE UNTIL MIDNIGHT.

WTB
............CORRECTION...GRATIOT COUNTY HAS NOT BEEN CLEARED YET....

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Jun 17, 8:11 PM EDTTornado WarningDTXLivingston49 min
Jun 17, 8:19 PM EDTTornado WarningDTXOakland26 min
Jun 17, 8:21 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDTXShiawassee34 min
Jun 17, 8:23 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDTXLenawee, Washtenaw67 min
Jun 17, 8:46 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDTXLapeer29 min
Jun 17, 8:47 PM EDTTornado WarningDTXOakland43 min
Jun 17, 9:15 PM EDTTornado WarningDTXMacomb, Saint Clair60 min
Jun 17, 9:15 PM EDTTornado WarningDTXLenawee, Monroe, Wayne60 min
Jun 17, 10:14 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDTXMonroe46 min
Jun 18, 3:05 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDTXGenesee40 min
Jun 18, 3:55 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDTXWashtenaw50 min

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.