Tornado and Hail in Michigan, May 31, 1998

On the evening of the 30th, a strong low pressure system was located over the upper Mississippi Valley. The low moved rapidly east that night, reaching northern lower Michigan by daybreak on the 31st. The warm front associated with the low moved north across the Lower Peninsula overnight, ushering in an unstable air mass. A potent upper level disturbance also moved east across Michigan during the early morning hours of the 31st. Wind speeds were extremely high aloft, with 65 mph winds located less than a half mile above ground level.Thunderstorms developed in the northern Plains during the afternoon of the 30th. The storms organized and accelerated as they headed east. The thunderstorm complex evolved into a serial derecho as it crossed eastern Wisconsin and Lake Michigan. The derecho affected most of lower Michigan during the early morning hours of the 31st, producing one of the most widespread wind damage events in state history. The derecho moved east across the state at about 70 mph.Two fatalities were directly attributed to the storms in southeast Michigan. In Pinconning in Bay County, a woman was killed when a tree fell on her home as she slept. In Port Crescent State Park, just southwest of Port Austin in Huron County, a tent occupied by two people was struck by a falling tree, killing one of the occupants (the other was unhurt). Two injuries occurred at the Holly State Recreation Area in Oakland County. Both were campers who were hurt in separate incidents by falling trees. One suffered a possible broken leg, while the other may have suffered broken ribs.In southeast Michigan, wind damage generally increased as you went north. Most of Metro Detroit saw only patchy wind damage. Widespread damage began in the far northern suburbs of Detroit, and continued north into Flint, the Tri Cities, and the Thumb. Most of the damage done to structures was caused by falling trees.Midland County was the first southeast Michigan county to experience the derecho. Structural damage was reported in Porter, Warren, Edenville, Hope, and Jerome Townships. Outbuildings were the most vulnerable to the wind, with many barns, sheds, and garages damaged or destroyed. Trees and power lines down were a common sight countywide. Consumers Power reported that thirteen thousand customers in the Midland area lost power due to the thunderstorms.Damage was widespread in Bay County. Bay City was especially hard hit, with many trees down and a gas main broken. The city clock tower had one of its faces torn off, and the drawbridge across the Saginaw River had all four gates snapped off. The Coast Guard Station in nearby Essexville recorded an 81 mph wind gust. Eleven thousand Bay City area residents were without power at the height of the storm. Again, trees and power lines down were a common problem countywide. Crews were still cleaning up debris almost two months after the storms went through. Public damage alone was estimated at $610,000. President Clinton declared Bay County a Federal Disaster Area.Saginaw County also received a Federal Disaster Declaration. Damage was most widespread in the northern and eastern parts of the county. Townships hardest hit were Jonesfield, Richland, Bridgeport, Thomas, Birch Run, Carlton, Kochville, and Tittabawassee. Also hard hit were the cities of Saginaw and Zilwaukee. The Tri Cities International Airport recorded an 86 mph wind gust, while a spotter near Oakley estimated 70 mph winds. Several homes suffered structural damage, with most of the damage again caused by fallen trees. Public damage alone was estimated at $750,000. Fifty-eight thousand Consumers Power customers in the Saginaw area lost power at the height of the storm, and it took over a week to get power restored in some places.The other county in southeast Michigan to receive a Federal Disaster Declaration was Shiawassee. A spotter north of Laingsburg estimated 89 mph winds, while another spotter just northeast of Henderson reported 70 mph winds. The hardest hit areas in the county included Owosso, Durand, and Fairfield Township. In Owosso, over half a million dollars in damage was done to the high school alone. About 25,000 Owosso area residents lost power during the storm. All told, fifty homes and twenty-six businesses in Shiawassee County were damaged, along with about fifty agricultural outbuildings. The derecho felled about five thousand trees in the county.The Thumb counties of Huron, Tuscola, and Sanilac also experienced damaging winds. Numerous barns were deroofed in the west half of Huron County, and a pair of utility plants were damaged. A gazebo in Wagener Park, between Harbor Beach and White Rock, was destroyed. In Tuscola County, the wind was estimated in the 70 to 85 mph range by the Michigan State Police at their Caro post. Property damage was extensive in the Caro area, including a tree that fell through the roof of the county building. Unionville was also hit hard, with several homes struck by falling trees. County officials estimated 70 mph winds in the Millington area. Windows were blown out a home in the extreme southeast corner of the county, just west of Marlette. Across the county line in Sanilac County, plate glass windows were blown out of downtown businesses in Brown City. Several mobile homes in the northwest part of the county suffered extensive damage. Numerous outbuildings were destroyed in Sanilac County, mainly in the western half. The steeple was torn off of a church in Melvin. Other communities that saw damage included New Greenleaf, Marlette, Peck, Deckerville, Shabonna, and Minden.The only tornado of the morning in southeast Michigan occurred in far western Genesee County. The weak tornado only touched down for a few moments, but was observed by a spotter downing trees and damaging buildings. Elsewhere across Genesee County, tree damage was widespread. The Fenton area saw the most extensive damage, but Grand Blanc and Flint also had significant problems. Over a hundred thousand Consumers Power customers in the Flint area lost power at the height of the storm. The widespread wind damage continued east into Lapeer County, with hundreds of trees downed. Imlay City, Lapeer, and Almont were among the hardest hit communities in Lapeer County.Still more damage occurred in the next county over, St Clair County. Trees and power lines were down across much of the county. Damage was most extensive in Capac, Yale, Port Huron, and Marysville. In Port Huron, an historic elm tree - believed to be the oldest in the county - fell onto a church. This was just one of dozens of trees to be felled in Port Huron. All told, one home in St Clair County was destroyed, and thirty were damaged.Livingston County was yet another county that saw widespread damage to trees and power lines, although the damage was not quite as extensive. A National Weather Service employee estimated 60 mph winds near Brighton. Fowlerville, Howell, and Hartland also experienced severe winds. In Oakland County, damage was heavy and extensive in the northern part of the county. A gust of 67 mph was measured at the National Weather Service office in White Lake, while a Weather Service employee measured 61 mph winds in Oxford. Several homes in the Oxford area suffered roof damage, two large signs were downed, and a trampoline simply disappeared. Holly, Ortonville, Clarkston, and Orion Township also saw substantial damage to trees. Further south, damage became patchy. A swath of damaging winds downed trees from South Lyon east to Novi. A lightning strike in South Lyon started a house fire. Gusts estimated at 70 mph knocked boats off of hoists on Cass Lake.In Macomb County, extensive damage occurred in the village of Armada. Winds estimated at 90 mph downed dozens of trees in the village. The Governor of Michigan declared Armada a state disaster area. This swath of damage started southwest of Armada in Romeo, where trees and lines were downed. The swath continued east of Armada to Richmond - where a barn was destroyed - and Memphis - where two homes were damaged by fallen trees. Damage was only patchy in the southern part of Macomb County, with tree damage reported in Fraser and St Clair Shores. Twenty homes and ten businesses were damaged in Macomb County.Only the trailing edge of the derecho crossed Washtenaw and Wayne Counties, and the thunderstorms there moved much more slowly. Wind damage was therefore nowhere near as extensive. Power lines were downed in the Dexter area in Washtenaw County. Lightning triggered a house fire in Ypsilanti. In Wayne County, trees and power lines were downed in Northville and Livonia. A pocket of damage also occurred in Dearborn, where a church steeple was damaged, a garage was hit by a falling utility pole, and a house was struck by lightning. All told, 215,000 Detroit Edison customers lost power at some point in the storm.To wind up the event, an isolated severe thunderstorm developed on the southern edge of the derecho as it was moving east into Ontario. This cell produced large hail in Rockwood and South Rockwood.