An upper level disturbance moved into Lower Michigan and in combination with a humid and unstable airmass over the area, triggered numerous thunderstorms, mainly north of a Brighton to Bad Axe line. Some of the more widespread thunderstorms occurred across Tuscola County where thousands of people were left without power.
Every event with a place to put it. Tap one for its entry below.
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.
The episode as NWS DTX wrote it up.
An upper level disturbance moved into Lower Michigan and in combination with a humid and unstable airmass over the area, triggered numerous thunderstorms, mainly north of a Brighton to Bad Axe line. Some of the more widespread thunderstorms occurred across Tuscola County where thousands of people were left without power.
The local office's own words before the first event, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.
NWS Detroit, MI wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Aug 13, 2:20 PM EST, 10 minutes earlier.
SOUTHEAST MICHIGAN AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DETROIT/PONTIAC MI 320 PM EDT TUE AUG 13 2002 SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH 603 IN EFFECT THROUGH 7 PM. SHORTWAVE...ALONG WITH SURFACE REFLECTION...NEAR CHICAGO TO CONTINUE TO HEAD OFF TO THE NORTH/NORTHEAST. 850 MB LOW LEVEL JET (AROUND 40 KNOTS) TO MOVE THROUGH SOUTHEAST MICHIGAN THIS EVENING. LAPS CAPES AT 18Z AROUND 2000 J/KG ACROSS CWA. NUMEROUS SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS DEVELOPING/MOVING INTO SOUTHEAST MICHIGAN AT THE PRESENT TIME. WILL CONTINUE WITH THE 80% OR BETTER POPS. WEAK COLD FRONT/SURFACE TROUGH TO SLOWLY PUSH THROUGH THE CWA ON WEDNESDAY. 850-700MB THETA-E RIDGE TO MOVE THROUGH BETWEEN 12-18Z WEDNESDAY...WITH DECENT UPPER LEVEL DIVERGENCE. PWS VALUES AROUND 2 INCHES. WITH THE SLOW MOVEMENT OF THE FRONT WILL LIKELY SEE A GOOD SOAKING ACROSS PARTS OF THE CWA. LITTLE IF ANY SUN EXPECTED...THUS ONLY EXPECTING ABOUT A 10 DEGREE RISE IN TEMPERATURES OFF THE MORNING LOWS. MARGINAL INSTABILITY EXPECTED TOMORROW (DUE TO LACK OF SOLAR HEATING)...THUS NOT EXPECTING MUCH IN THE WAY OF SEVERE WEATHER. WILL FOLLOW THE AVN/CANADIAN AND BRING THE WEAKENING UPPER LEVEL TROUGH THROUGH EARLY THURSDAY MORNING...WITH DRYING TAKING PLACE DURING THE DAY. GRANTED...THIS MAY BE A BIT OPTIMISTIC BASED ON THE TRENDS OF THIS SYSTEM. WILL CALL FOR HIGHS GENERALLY IN THE MID 80S...IN LINE WITH THE AVN MOS NUMBERS. FEW IF ANY CHANGES TO THE EXTENDED... CANADIAN MODEL INDICATING A VIGOROUS SHORTWAVE TRACKING THROUGH THE NORTHERN GREAT LAKES FRIDAY MORNING...WITH THE ASSOCIATED COLD FRONT EXTENDING SOUTH TO CHICAGO. 12Z AVN MODEL IS MUCH MORE ZONAL...WITH A SURFACE RIDGE BUILDING INTO MICHIGAN DURING THE DAY. WILL CONTINUE TO RUN WITH THE FLATTER FLOW...AND HIGHER HEIGHTS ACROSS THE GREAT LAKES. AVN STILL SHOWING UPPER LOW CUTTING OFF ACROSS BRITISH COLUMBIA/PACIFIC NORTHWEST ON FRIDAY. THIS WILL RESULT IN RIDGING ACROSS THE NORTHERN PLAINS/WESTERN GREAT LAKES. THE UPPER LOW OVER THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST IS THEN EXPECTED TO HEAD EASTWARD...RESULTING IN LOW PRESSURE DEVELOPING ACROSS THE PLAINS BY SATURDAY. MUCH LIKE THIS LAST SYSTEM...EXPECTING THE UPPER LEVEL LOW TO LIFT INTO CENTRAL CANADA BY EARLY NEXT WEEK. WILL CONTINUE WITH THE CHANCE OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS FOR SUNDAY AND MONDAY...DRYING THINGS OUT ON TUESDAY. EXPECTING TEMPS TO BE ABOVE NORMAL THIS WEEKEND INTO EARLY NEXT WEEK. .DTX...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH 603 IN EFFECT FOR ALL OF SOUTHEAST MICHIGAN THROUGH 7 PM. SF
MIZ047>049-053>055-060>063-068>070-075-076-082-083-140200- HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK FOR SOUTHEAST MICHIGAN NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DETROIT/PONTIAC MI 1111 AM EDT TUE AUG 13 2002 DISPATCHERS...PLEASE NOTIFY YOUR EMERGENCY MANAGERS IMMEDIATELY. HAZARDS... NUMEROUS THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED LATE THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING ACROSS SOUTHEAST MICHIGAN. SOME OF THESE STORMS MAY BECOME SEVERE... WITH WIND GUSTS TO 70 MPH BEING THE PREDOMINATE HAZARD. DIME SIZED HAIL IS ALSO POSSIBLE. DISCUSSION... A WARM AND MOIST AIRMASS IS IN PLACE OVER LOWER MICHIGAN...AHEAD OF A COLD FRONT OVER WISCONSIN. WITH A FEW HOURS OF SUNSHINE EARLY THIS AFTERNOON...THE ATMOSPHERE WILL DESTABILIZE ENOUGH FOR ADDITIONAL THUNDERSTORMS TO DEVELOP ALONG OUTFLOW BOUNDARIES CREATED BY STORMS FROM EARLY THIS MORNING. CLOUD DEBRIS LEFT OVER FROM THE MORNING STORMS WILL LIMIT THE AMOUNT OF SUN WE SEE...WHICH WILL LIMIT THE AMOUNT OF INSTABILITY AVAILABLE TO THE AFTERNOON THUNDERSTORMS. HOWEVER...WITH UPPER-LEVEL SUPPORT AND A STRENGTHENING WIND...SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE. THUNDERSTORMS WILL DEVELOP BETWEEN 3 PM AND 6 PM THIS AFTERNOON NEAR US-23 FROM SAGINAW TO ANN ARBOR...AND REACH M-25 FROM HARBOR BEACH TO PORT HURON BETWEEN 5 PM AND 8 PM. STORMS MOVEMENT WILL BE TO THE NORTHEAST AT 30 MPH. SPOTTER ACTIVATION... SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE NEEDED BY LATE THIS AFTERNOON. OUTLOOK FOR WEDNESDAY AND THURSDAY... THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE THROUGH WEDNESDAY NIGHT. HOWEVER NONE OF THESE STORMS ARE EXPECTED TO BECOME SEVERE. STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO...OR LOCAL MEDIA OUTLETS...FOR THE LATEST FORECAST INFORMATION FROM THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE. YOU CAN ALSO OBTAIN THE LATEST FORECAST ON THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WEB SITE. HTTP://WWW.CRH.NOAA.GOV/DTX/ (ALL LOWER CASE) BRAVENDER
MIZ047>049-053>055-060>063-068>070-075-076-082-083-132300- HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK FOR SOUTHEAST MICHIGAN NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DETROIT/PONTIAC MI 210 PM EDT TUE AUG 13 2002 ...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH NUMBER 603 IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 700 PM EDT... DISPATCHERS...PLEASE NOTIFY YOUR EMERGENCY MANAGERS IMMEDIATELY. NUMEROUS THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED THIS AFTERNOON AND EARLY EVENING ACROSS SOUTHEAST MICHIGAN. SOME OF THESE STORMS MAY BECOME SEVERE...WITH WIND GUSTS TO 70 MPH OR GREATER BEING THE PREDOMINANT HAZARD. HAIL IN EXCESS OF 1 INCH IN DIAMETER IS ALSO POSSIBLE. THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES IN SOUTHEAST MICHIGAN ARE COVERED BY THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH... BAY...MIDLAND...SANILAC...SAGINAW...LAPEER...GENESEE...SHIAWASSEE... MACOMB...OAKLAND...LIVINGSTON...WASHTENAW...LENAWEE...HURON...TUSCOLA ...ST. CLAIR...WAYNE AND MONROE. STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO...OR LOCAL MEDIA OUTLETS...FOR THE LATEST FORECAST INFORMATION FROM THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE. YOU CAN ALSO OBTAIN THE LATEST FORECAST ON THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WEB SITE. HTTP://WWW.CRH.NOAA.GOV/DTX/ (ALL LOWER CASE)
The Detroit radar (KDTX), 92 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 19:28 UTC.
10 thunderstorm wind, 1 hail. Local standard time, as filed.
Law enforcement reported several large trees and tree limbs blown down in thunderstorm winds.
Trained spotters reported several large tree limbs blown down in thunderstorm winds.
Trained spotters reported several large trees and power lines blown down in thunderstorm winds.
Trained spotters reported several large tree limbs blown down in thunderstorm winds.
Emergency management reported large trees blown down in thunderstorm winds.
Trained spotters reported 15 inch diameter tree limbs blown down in thunderstorm winds in Gagetown.
Trained spotters reported numerous 10 to 15 inch diameter trees blown down in thunderstorm winds. Some of the trees were blown onto M-53.
A co-op observer reported large trees blown down in thunderstorm winds, especially near Majestic Golf Course.
Law enforcement reported several trees blown down in thunderstorm winds.
An off duty weather service employee reported several large tree limbs blown down in thunderstorm winds.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Michigan in 2002Every state in 2002This day in weather historyWarnings in Michigan, August 2002
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: 5309804, 5309803, 5309878, 5309802, 5309801, 5309881, 5309805, 5309806, 5309880, 5309877, 5309879.