Michigan, 2000

Tornadoes and Flash Flooding in Michigan, May 12, 2000

May 12, 2000 · NWS APX · 24 events in 11 counties and zones

Thunderstorms developed across Northern Lower Michigan in unseasonably warm and humid air ahead of a strong cold front that was moving across the Great Lakes Region. Thunderstorms developed during the late afternoon and lasted through the evening.

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
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
None recorded
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
24

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 APX wrote it up.

Thunderstorms developed across Northern Lower Michigan in unseasonably warm and humid air ahead of a strong cold front that was moving across the Great Lakes Region. Thunderstorms developed during the late afternoon and lasted through the evening. Most of these storms produced very heavy rain and hail. The heavy rainfall also produced some street flooding in the cities of Manistee and Cadillac. A few of these storms produced severe wind gusts. An isolated tornado was reported across the Gladwin-Arenac County line; however, the hail and flooding had the greatest impact.

The radar

The NCL Michigan radar (KAPX), 143 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 18:24 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

17 hail, 3 thunderstorm wind, 2 flash flood, 2 tornado. Local standard time, as filed.

Thunderstorm Wind, Manistee

When
May 12, 1:23 PM EST
Where
Manistee County, 4 mi N of Manistee
Measured
75 kt (86 mph)
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
44.300, -86.317

Hail, Wexford

When
May 12, 2:05 PM EST
Where
Wexford County, Cadillac
Measured
0.75 in hail
Reported by
AMATEUR RADIO
Coordinates
44.250, -85.400

Flash Flood, Wexford

When
May 12, 2:45 PM EST to 3:45 PM EST
Where
Wexford County, Cadillac
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
44.338, -85.578 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Up to six inches of water covered some city streets.

Hail, Ogemaw

When
May 12, 3:12 PM EST
Where
Ogemaw County, West Branch Arpt
Measured
0.88 in hail
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
44.250, -84.183

Flash Flood, Manistee

When
May 12, 3:15 PM EST to 4:00 PM EST
Where
Manistee County, Manistee
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
44.238, -86.288 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Up to six inches of water covered city streets.

Tornado, Gladwin

When
May 12, 3:36 PM EST to 3:38 PM EST
Where
Gladwin County, 20 mi NE of Gladwin
Rating
F0
Path length
1.5 mi
Path width
20 yd
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
44.183, -84.200

A tornado briefly touched down in far northeast Gladwin County and crossed into Arenac County lifting near interstate 75.

Tornado, Arenac

When
May 12, 3:38 PM EST to 3:40 PM EST
Where
Arenac County, 2 mi W of Alger
Rating
F0
Path length
0.5 mi
Path width
20 yd
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
44.117, -84.150

A tornado briefly touched down in far northeast Gladwin County and crossed into Arenac County lifting near interstate 75.

Hail, Ogemaw

When
May 12, 3:45 PM EST
Where
Ogemaw County, Prescott
Measured
1.75 in hail
Reported by
FIRE DEPT/RESCUE SQUAD
Coordinates
44.183, -83.917

Hail, Iosco

When
May 12, 3:45 PM EST
Where
Iosco County, Whittemore
Measured
1.75 in hail
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
44.233, -83.800

Hail, Ogemaw

When
May 12, 3:48 PM EST
Where
Ogemaw County, Prescott
Measured
1.75 in hail
Reported by
FIRE DEPT/RESCUE SQUAD
Coordinates
44.183, -83.917

Hail, Ogemaw

When
May 12, 3:50 PM EST
Where
Ogemaw County, Prescott
Measured
1 in hail
Reported by
AMATEUR RADIO
Coordinates
44.183, -83.917

Hail, Iosco

When
May 12, 3:50 PM EST
Where
Iosco County, Whittemore
Measured
1 in hail
Reported by
AMATEUR RADIO
Coordinates
44.233, -83.800

Hail, Iosco

When
May 12, 4:03 PM EST
Where
Iosco County, 5 mi S of Whittemore
Measured
0.88 in hail
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
44.167, -83.800

Hail, Iosco

When
May 12, 4:08 PM EST
Where
Iosco County, East Tawas
Measured
0.88 in hail
Reported by
AMATEUR RADIO
Coordinates
44.283, -83.483

Hail, Missaukee

When
May 12, 4:20 PM EST
Where
Missaukee County, 4 mi N of Lake City
Measured
0.75 in hail
Reported by
EMERGENCY MANAGER
Coordinates
44.383, -85.217

Thunderstorm Wind, Roscommon

When
May 12, 4:30 PM EST
Where
Roscommon County, 8 mi N of Houghton Lake
Measured
50 kt (58 mph)
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
44.417, -84.750

Several trees were blown down.

Hail, Leelanau

When
May 12, 5:02 PM EST
Where
Leelanau County, 2 mi S of Leland
Measured
1 in hail
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
44.983, -85.750

Hail, Leelanau

When
May 12, 5:09 PM EST
Where
Leelanau County, Suttons Bay
Measured
1 in hail
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
44.967, -85.667

Hail, Leelanau

When
May 12, 5:15 PM EST
Where
Leelanau County, Maple City
Measured
1 in hail
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
44.850, -85.867

Hail, Charlevoix

When
May 12, 5:27 PM EST
Where
Charlevoix County, Ironton
Measured
1 in hail
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
45.250, -85.183

Hail, Alcona

When
May 12, 6:10 PM EST
Where
Alcona County, Harrisville
Measured
1 in hail
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
44.667, -83.283

Thunderstorm Wind, Alcona

When
May 12, 6:10 PM EST
Where
Alcona County, Countywide
Measured
50 kt (58 mph)
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
44.683, -83.550

Trees and power lines were blown down over portions of the entire county.

Hail, Alcona

When
May 12, 6:12 PM EST
Where
Alcona County, 2 mi N of Harrisville
Measured
1 in hail
Reported by
AMATEUR RADIO
Coordinates
44.700, -83.283

Hail, Alcona

When
May 12, 6:13 PM EST
Where
Alcona County, Harrisville
Measured
1 in hail
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
44.667, -83.283

What these are

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.
Hail
Hail three-quarters of an inch or larger, or smaller hail that caused damage, filed with the largest stone measured.
Flash Flood
Flooding that begins within six hours of the rain that causes it, or of a dam or levee failure or ice jam release, often with deadly speed.
Tornado
A violently rotating column of air in contact with the ground and extending from a thunderstorm, filed with its path, width and Fujita or Enhanced Fujita rating from the damage survey.

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

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in Michigan in 2000Every state in 2000This day in weather historyThe tornado archive for Michigan, 2000Warnings in Michigan, May 2000

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: 5145433, 5145434, 5144178, 5144159, 5144177, 5144160, 5144161, 5144162, 5144163, 5144164, 5144165, 5144166, 5144167, 5144168, 5144169, 5144180, 5144170, 5144171, 5144172, 5144173, 5144174, 5144179, 5144175, 5144176.