Alert archive / Michigan / Tornado Warnings in 1994

Tornado Warning 1, NWS Detroit, MI

May 25, 1994Oakland County, Michigan

NWS Detroit, MI issued this tornado warning at May 25, 1994, 8:47 PM EDT for Oakland County, Michigan. It was in force for 28 min.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued
May 25, 1994, 8:47 PM EDT (00:47 UTC)
Expired
May 25, 1994, 9:15 PM EDT
In force
28 min
Issued by
NWS Detroit, MI
Area
Whole counties

County Oakland County, MI

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.

Skew-T log-pSkew-T log-p diagram, Detroit, MI at 00:00Z on 1994-05-26Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 330 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 1994-05-26The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 23 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
330 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-4 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
795 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
35 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
23 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
114 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.1
Supercell composite
0.5

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
TTAA00 KDTW 260047
TORDTW
MIC125-260115-

BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED/EBS ACTIVATION REQUESTED 
TORNADO WARNING 
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DETROIT MI
847 PM EDT WED MAY 25 1994

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 845 PM EDT...DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A POSSIBLE TORNADO FORMING
5 MILE EAST NORTHEAST OF HIGHLAND...35 MILES NORTHWEST OF DOWNTOWN
DETROIT. MOVEMENT WAS TO THE SOUTHEAST 15 MILES AN HOUR.

PERSONS IN THE PATH OF THIS STORM SHOULD TAKE COVER NOW. THIS IS A
DANGEROUS STORM.

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.

 YORK

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, May 25, 7:24 PM EDT, 1 hour 23 minutes before
MIZ061-260120-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FLINT  MI
724 PM EDT WED MAY 25 1994

...STRONG THUNDERTORMS HAVE MOVED INTO GENESEE COUTNY...

AT 720 PM EDT...RADAR INDICATED A STRONG THUNDERSTORM PRODUCING
HEAVY RAIN...HAIL AND GUSTY WINDS. THE STORM WAS MOVING TO THE EAST
AT 25 MPH...IT WILL PASS LINDEN 26 MILES SOUTH OF FLINT BY 730 PM.

THIS STORM HAS PRODUCED PEA SIZE HAIL NEAR ARGENTINE 26 MILES SOUTHWEST
OF FLINT...AND MARBLE SIZE HAIL WAS REPORTED NEAR FLINT AND I 69 NEAR
BANCROFT AND GRAND ROAD.

IF YOU ARE IN THE PATH OF THIS STORM TAKE SHELTER IMMEDIATELY...DO NOT
USE TELEPHONE OR ELECTRICAL APPLIANCES UNTIL THE STORM HAS PASSED

THIES
Special weather statement, May 25, 7:25 PM EDT, 1 hour 22 minutes before
MIZ061-260120-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FLINT  MI
724 PM EDT WED MAY 25 1994

...STRONG THUNDERTORMS HAVE MOVED INTO GENESEE COUTNY...

AT 720 PM EDT...RADAR INDICATED A STRONG THUNDERSTORM PRODUCING
HEAVY RAIN...HAIL AND GUSTY WINDS. THE STORM WAS MOVING TO THE EAST
AT 25 MPH...IT WILL PASS LINDEN 26 MILES SOUTH OF FLINT BY 730 PM.

THIS STORM HAS PRODUCED PEA SIZE HAIL NEAR ARGENTINE 26 MILES SOUTHWEST
OF FLINT...AND MARBLE SIZE HAIL WAS REPORTED NEAR FLINT AND I 69 NEAR
BANCROFT AND GRAND ROAD.

IF YOU ARE IN THE PATH OF THIS STORM TAKE SHELTER IMMEDIATELY...DO NOT
USE TELEPHONE OR ELECTRICAL APPLIANCES UNTIL THE STORM HAS PASSED

THIES
Special weather statement, May 25, 7:28 PM EDT, 1 hour 19 minutes before
MIZ061-260120-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT...COR TYP0
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FLINT  MI
728 PM EDT WED MAY 25 1994

...STRONG THUNDERTORMS HAVE MOVED INTO GENESEE COUNTY...

AT 720 PM EDT...RADAR INDICATED A STRONG THUNDERSTORM PRODUCING
HEAVY RAIN...HAIL AND GUSTY WINDS. THE STORM WAS MOVING TO THE EAST
AT 25 MPH...IT WILL PASS LINDEN 26 MILES SOUTH OF FLINT BY 730 PM.

THIS STORM HAS PRODUCED PEA SIZE HAIL NEAR ARGENTINE 26 MILES SOUTHWEST
OF FLINT...AND MARBLE SIZE HAIL WAS REPORTED NEAR FLINT AND I 69 NEAR
BANCROFT AND GRAND ROAD.

IF YOU ARE IN THE PATH OF THIS STORM TAKE SHELTER IMMEDIATELY...DO NOT
USE TELEPHONE OR ELECTRICAL APPLIANCES UNTIL THE STORM HAS PASSED

THIES
Special weather statement, May 25, 7:29 PM EDT, 1 hour 18 minutes before
MIZ061-260120-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT...COR TYP0
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FLINT  MI
728 PM EDT WED MAY 25 1994

...STRONG THUNDERTORMS HAVE MOVED INTO GENESEE COUNTY...

AT 720 PM EDT...RADAR INDICATED A STRONG THUNDERSTORM PRODUCING
HEAVY RAIN...HAIL AND GUSTY WINDS. THE STORM WAS MOVING TO THE EAST
AT 25 MPH...IT WILL PASS LINDEN 26 MILES SOUTH OF FLINT BY 730 PM.

THIS STORM HAS PRODUCED PEA SIZE HAIL NEAR ARGENTINE 26 MILES SOUTHWEST
OF FLINT...AND MARBLE SIZE HAIL WAS REPORTED NEAR FLINT AND I 69 NEAR
BANCROFT AND GRAND ROAD.

IF YOU ARE IN THE PATH OF THIS STORM TAKE SHELTER IMMEDIATELY...DO NOT
USE TELEPHONE OR ELECTRICAL APPLIANCES UNTIL THE STORM HAS PASSED

THIES
Local storm report, May 25, 7:36 PM EDT, 1 hour 11 minutes before
STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DETROIT, MI
636 PM EST WED MAY 25 1994

EVENTS FROM 430 PM TO 436 PM EDT THIS DATE

TIME       LOCATION AND EVENT
(EDT)

430-436 PM   WAYNE COUNTY...CITY OF PLYMOUTH...23 MILES WEST OF DOWNTOWN
             DETROIT. STATE POLICE REPORTED MARBLE SIZE HAIL. ALSO A
             REPORT OF ONE INCH SIZE HAIL IN PLYMOUTH FROM THE POLICE.

BBN
Local storm report, May 25, 7:36 PM EDT, 1 hour 11 minutes before
STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DETROIT, MI
636 PM EST WED MAY 25 1994

EVENTS FROM 430 PM TO 436 PM EDT THIS DATE

TIME       LOCATION AND EVENT
(EDT)

430-436 PM   WAYNE COUNTY...CITY OF PLYMOUTH...23 MILES WEST OF DOWNTOWN
             DETROIT. STATE POLICE REPORTED MARBLE SIZE HAIL. ALSO A
             REPORT OF ONE INCH SIZE HAIL IN PLYMOUTH FROM THE POLICE.

BBN

Nearby

Tornado Warnings in Michigan, 1994Every tornado warning in 1994Tornadoes in 1994

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.