Hail and Damaging Winds in Michigan, July 23, 1999

Name: Hail and Damaging Winds in Michigan, July 23, 1999
Start: 1999-07-23T12:10
End: 1999-07-23T18:10
Location: Michigan

July 23, 1999 · NWS DTX · 29 events in 14 counties and zones

This was a hot and extremely humid day in southeast Michigan. Temperatures approached 90 degrees during the afternoon, with dew points as high as 80.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 2 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.

Tornadoes
Tropical storms and surge
Floods
Wind
Hail
Winter weather
Heat and drought
Cold
Fire, smoke and dust
Marine and coastal
Other

Open the live radar over this ground

The toll

Deaths: 1
Injuries: 1
Property damage: $564,000
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 29

Deaths and injuries are direct and indirect together, as the offices filed them. Damage is property and crops in the dollars of the year, not adjusted for inflation, and only where an office estimated it.

What happened

The episode as NWS DTX wrote it up.

This was a hot and extremely humid day in southeast Michigan. Temperatures approached 90 degrees during the afternoon, with dew points as high as 80. This resulted in a very unstable airmass across the area. A trough of low pressure moved east into the western Great Lakes by late morning, and thunderstorms ignited along the trough. These storms moved southeast into Michigan, and a large number of them became severe.The first severe report was dime sized hail in southwest Midland County. That would be the only severe hail event; the rest of the day was filled with damaging wind gusts. A 66 mph gust was measured at the National Weather Service office in White Lake, while a spotter estimated 70 mph winds near downtown Detroit.Most the damage caused by the wind involved downed trees and power lines. Trees were downed onto homes in the city of Midland, White Lake, Lake Orion, Pontiac, and Deerfield Township (Lapeer County). Deerfield Township was especially hard hit, as some roads were closed for several days due to tree debris. A number of tents at the Ann Arbor Art Fair were demolished. Vehicles were destroyed in White Lake and Port Huron when trees fell on them. A large awning was blown off the roof of a Canton strip mall, and the roof of a hangar at the Oakland County International Airport in Waterford was displaced by the wind. Panelling was torn off the press box at Tiger Stadium in Detroit. In St Clair Shores, a garage collapsed, moored sailboats were tipped over, and part of an aluminum roof was peeled off a warehouse.Locally heavy rainfall occurred with some of the thunderstorms, especially in metro Detroit. Freeway underpasses were flooded in Detroit, as were fifty basements in Dearborn. The thunderstorm hazard resulted in over a hundred flights at Detroit Metropolitan Airport being either delayed or cancelled. The Reform Party national convention in Dearborn was seriously disrupted, as several scheduled speakers - including Minnesota Governor Jesse Ventura - could not fly into Detroit.

The radar

The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

26 thunderstorm wind, 2 lightning, 1 hail. Local standard time, as filed.

Hail, Midland

When: July 23, 12:10 PM EST
Where: Midland County, Pleasant Vly
Measured: 0.75 in hail
Reported by: GENERAL PUBLIC
Coordinates: 43.500, -84.580

Thunderstorm Wind, Midland

When: July 23, 12:40 PM EST
Where: Midland County, Midland
Measured: 52 kt (60 mph)
Property damage: $25,000
Reported by: NEWSPAPER
Coordinates: 43.620, -84.230

Thunderstorm Wind, Saginaw

When: July 23, 1:23 PM EST to 1:34 PM EST
Where: Saginaw County, Merrill to Swan Creek
Measured: 52 kt (60 mph)
Property damage: $5,000
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 43.400, -84.330

Thunderstorm Wind, Saginaw

When: July 23, 1:34 PM EST to 1:46 PM EST
Where: Saginaw County, Swan Creek to 2 mi W of Bridgeport
Measured: 52 kt (60 mph)
Property damage: $5,000
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 43.380, -84.130

Thunderstorm Wind, Saginaw

When: July 23, 1:46 PM EST to 2:00 PM EST
Where: Saginaw County, Bridgeport to 2 mi of Frankenmuth
Measured: 52 kt (60 mph)
Property damage: $5,000
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 43.350, -83.920

Thunderstorm Wind, Shiawassee

When: July 23, 2:00 PM EST
Where: Shiawassee County, Owosso
Measured: 52 kt (60 mph)
Property damage: $8,000
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 43.000, -84.170

Thunderstorm Wind, Tuscola

When: July 23, 2:00 PM EST
Where: Tuscola County, 4 mi S of Vassar
Measured: 52 kt (60 mph)
Property damage: $7,000
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 43.320, -83.580

Lightning, Saginaw

When: July 23, 2:00 PM EST
Where: Saginaw County, Frankenmuth
Property damage: $12,000
Reported by: NEWSPAPER
Coordinates: 43.335, -84.053 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

A lightning strike took out a transformer, and blew the chimney off of a home.

Thunderstorm Wind, Lapeer

When: July 23, 2:20 PM EST
Where: Lapeer County, 9 mi N of Lapeer
Measured: 65 kt (75 mph)
Property damage: $95,000
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 43.180, -83.320

Thunderstorm Wind, Genesee

When: July 23, 2:25 PM EST
Where: Genesee County, 2 mi E of Otisville
Measured: 52 kt (60 mph)
Property damage: $8,000
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 43.170, -83.480

Lightning, Genesee

When: July 23, 2:38 PM EST
Where: Genesee County, 2 mi W of Fenton
Deaths: 1 direct, 0 indirect
Injuries: 1 direct, 0 indirect
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 43.022, -83.707 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

A thunderstorm quickly rolled into Silver Lake Park near Fenton. Beachgoers at the park quickly gathered up their things and raced to their cars, but the last group off the beach was not quite quick enough. Lightning struck an adult female and an eight year old girl, about five feet away from their car. Rescue workers were briefly able to resuscitate the adult, but she died soon after arriving at a local hospital. The girl was treated for her injuries at the hospital, and was released the following day.

Thunderstorm Wind, Lapeer

When: July 23, 2:44 PM EST
Where: Lapeer County, Imlay City
Measured: 52 kt (60 mph)
Property damage: $8,000
Reported by: NEWSPAPER
Coordinates: 43.030, -83.080

Thunderstorm Wind, Washtenaw

When: July 23, 2:45 PM EST to 2:55 PM EST
Where: Washtenaw County, Ann Arbor
Measured: 52 kt (60 mph)
Property damage: $35,000
Reported by: UTILITY COMPANY
Coordinates: 42.280, -83.730

Thunderstorm Wind, Livingston

When: July 23, 2:50 PM EST
Where: Livingston County, 7 mi N of Hartland
Measured: 50 kt (58 mph)
Property damage: $3,000
Reported by: NWS EMPLOYEE(OFF DUTY)
Coordinates: 42.750, -83.750

Thunderstorm Wind, Oakland

When: July 23, 2:55 PM EST
Where: Oakland County, 3 mi S of Holly
Measured: 52 kt (60 mph)
Property damage: $6,000
Reported by: NEWSPAPER
Coordinates: 42.750, -83.620

Thunderstorm Wind, St. Clair

When: July 23, 3:00 PM EST
Where: St. Clair County, Capac
Measured: 52 kt (60 mph)
Property damage: $10,000
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 43.020, -82.920

Thunderstorm Wind, Oakland

When: July 23, 3:08 PM EST to 3:14 PM EST
Where: Oakland County, White Lake to Milford
Measured: 52 kt (60 mph)
Property damage: $70,000
Reported by: NEWSPAPER
Coordinates: 42.680, -83.550

Thunderstorm Wind, Oakland

When: July 23, 3:10 PM EST
Where: Oakland County, Ortonville
Measured: 57 kt (66 mph)
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 42.850, -83.430

Thunderstorm Wind, Oakland

When: July 23, 3:10 PM EST to 3:24 PM EST
Where: Oakland County, Clarkston to 2 mi SW of Pontiac
Measured: 58 kt (67 mph)
Property damage: $35,000
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 42.720, -83.430

Thunderstorm Wind, Wayne

When: July 23, 3:15 PM EST
Where: Wayne County, 5 mi S of Plymouth
Measured: 55 kt (63 mph)
Property damage: $35,000
Reported by: BROADCAST MEDIA
Coordinates: 42.300, -83.470

Thunderstorm Wind, Oakland

When: July 23, 3:20 PM EST
Where: Oakland County, Oxford to Lake Orion
Measured: 55 kt (63 mph)
Property damage: $35,000
Reported by: NEWSPAPER
Coordinates: 42.820, -83.270

Thunderstorm Wind, Oakland

When: July 23, 3:29 PM EST
Where: Oakland County, Bloomfield Hills
Measured: 52 kt (60 mph)
Property damage: $7,000
Reported by: NEWSPAPER
Coordinates: 42.580, -83.230

Thunderstorm Wind, Wayne

When: July 23, 3:38 PM EST to 3:44 PM EST
Where: Wayne County, Dearborn to Detroit
Measured: 61 kt (70 mph)
Property damage: $22,000
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 42.320, -83.250

Thunderstorm Wind, St. Clair

When: July 23, 3:40 PM EST
Where: St. Clair County, Port Huron
Measured: 52 kt (60 mph)
Property damage: $18,000
Reported by: NEWSPAPER
Coordinates: 42.980, -82.420

Thunderstorm Wind, Oakland

When: July 23, 3:45 PM EST
Where: Oakland County, Royal Oak
Measured: 52 kt (60 mph)
Property damage: $10,000
Reported by: GENERAL PUBLIC
Coordinates: 42.480, -83.130

Thunderstorm Wind, St. Clair

When: July 23, 3:50 PM EST
Where: St. Clair County, Algonac
Measured: 52 kt (60 mph)
Property damage: $6,000
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 42.620, -82.530

Thunderstorm Wind, Macomb

When: July 23, 4:10 PM EST
Where: Macomb County, St Clair Shrs
Measured: 60 kt (69 mph)
Property damage: $70,000
Reported by: BROADCAST MEDIA
Coordinates: 42.480, -82.870

Thunderstorm Wind, Lenawee

When: July 23, 5:00 PM EST
Where: Lenawee County, Rome Center to Tipton
Measured: 52 kt (60 mph)
Property damage: $16,000
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 41.950, -84.180

Thunderstorm Wind, Monroe

When: July 23, 6:10 PM EST
Where: Monroe County, Dundee
Measured: 52 kt (60 mph)
Property damage: $8,000
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 41.950, -83.650

The people who died

As the offices recorded each death: direct deaths were caused by the weather itself, indirect ones by something it set in motion.

Event	Date	Age	Sex	Where	Kind
Lightning, Genesee	1999-07-23	31	Female	Outside/Open Areas	Direct

What these are

Hail: Hail three-quarters of an inch or larger, or smaller hail that caused damage, filed with the largest stone measured.
Thunderstorm Wind: Winds from a thunderstorm of 50 knots (58 mph) or more, or lower winds that caused damage or casualties. Measured gusts are marked MG, estimated EG.
Lightning: A lightning strike that killed, injured or caused damage.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in Michigan in 1999 Every state in 1999 This day in weather history Warnings in Michigan, July 1999

Sources

NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database, compiled from the National Weather Service’s monthly Storm Data. Complete through 2026-06; NCEI adds each month about 75 days after it ends and revises past years a few times a year. Rebuilt 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 5708081, 5708082, 5708161, 5708162, 5708163, 5708167, 5708168, 5708172, 5708075, 5708077, 5708074, 5708076, 5708169, 5708079, 5708084, 5708164, 5708086, 5708085, 5708088, 5708170, 5708087, 5708159, 5708171, 5708165, 5708160, 5708166, 5708080, 5708078, 5708083.