Michigan, 2002

Flash Flooding and Hail in Michigan, June 21, 2002

June 21, 2002 · NWS DTX · 15 events in 5 counties and zones

Very warm and humid air, combined with several weak frontal boundaries across the region, allowed scattered thunderstorms to develop during the afternoon of the 21st. Some of these storms produced hail and very heavy rainfall.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 6 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
$200,000
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
15

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.

Very warm and humid air, combined with several weak frontal boundaries across the region, allowed scattered thunderstorms to develop during the afternoon of the 21st. Some of these storms produced hail and very heavy rainfall. Slow storm movement and the intense rainfall led to flooding in some locations. The most persistent heavy rainfall occurred from Adrian to Monroe to the southern suburbs of Detroit, where rainfall rates of 2 inches per hour were reported.

What forecasters said that day

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 Jun 21, 9:40 AM EST, 1 hour 56 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jun 21, 9:40 AM EST, 1 hour 56 minutes before
SOUTHEAST MICHIGAN AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DETROIT/PONTIAC MI
1040 AM EDT FRI JUN 21 2002

...THUNDERSTORMS PRODUCING HEAVY RAINFALL THE MAIN CONCERN...

FRONTAL BOUNDARY WAS JUST TO THE NORTH OF FLINT EXTENDING TO THE
COUNTY BORDERS OF ST CLAIR AND SANILAC.  PLENTY OF CONVECTION FIRING
ALONG THE BOUNDARY WITH MOVEMENT QUITE SLOW TO THE EAST.  LATEST 88D
PRECIP RATES NEAR 1 PER HOUR IN SPOTS TO THE WEST WITH METARS
SHOWING ABOUT HALF AS MUCH (RAINFALL AMOUNTS LIKELY HIGHER OUTSIDE
OF METAR REPORTS).  88D CROSS SECTIONS SHOW THE HIGHEST
REFLECTIVITIES CLOSER TO THE SURFACE WHICH INDICATES PLENTY OF WATER
FALLING...NOT MUCH IF ANY HAIL.  WIND PROFILES ARE ALSO QUITE WEAK
HENCE THE SLOW MOVEMENT AND MINIMAL WIND DAMAGE POTENTIAL.

QUESTION FOR THE AFTERNOON IS THUNDERSTORMS.  AFOREMENTIONED
BOUNDARY ACROSS THE NORTH WITH ANOTHER WEAK AREA OF CONVERGENCE
ACROSS NORTHERN INDIANA AND NORTHWEST OHIO.  HIGH THETA-E AIR OVER
THE STATE WITH PWATS OVER 1.75 PER RAOBS AND LAPS SOUNDINGS.  LAPS
INFORMATION ALSO CONTINUES WITH LI/S NEAR -4C WITH CAPES AROUND 1K
J/KG.  BASED ON 850-300MB THICKNESS SCHEME AND THE THERMAL
WIND...THESE STORMS WILL BE SLOW MOVERS...EAST BETWEEN 10-15 MPH.
FAVORABLE THICKNESS DIFLUENCE OVER SOUTHEAST LOWER AND K INDEX
VALUES INTO THE LOWER 30S C.  FFG FROM THIS MORNING POINTS TO AROUND
2.5 OF RAIN WITHIN 3-6 HOUR TIME FRAME...SO THIS WILL HAVE TO BE
CLOSELY MONITORED.

WE WILL UPDATE THE CURRENT FORECAST TO SCATTERED AND WATCH SHORT
TERMS VERY CLOSELY.  NOW WITH SEVERAL OUTFLOW BOUNDARIES INTERACTING
WITH DAYTIME HEATING...THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE SCATTERED CWA-WIDE
THANKS TO DIFFERENTIAL HEATING.  WARM AND MUGGY CONDITIONS WILL
PREVAIL WITH DEWPOINTS NEAR 70F.

.DTX...NONE.

BGM

In the hours before

Special weather statement, Jun 21, 10:05 AM EST, 1 hour 31 minutes before
MIZ047>049-053>055-060>063-068>070-075-076-082-083-220200-

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK FOR SOUTHEAST MICHIGAN
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DETROIT/PONTIAC MI
1105 AM EDT FRI JUN 21 2002

...SEVERE WEATHER POTENTIAL STATEMENT FOR SOUTHEAST MICHIGAN...

DISPATCHERS...PLEASE NOTIFY YOUR EMERGENCY MANAGERS IMMEDIATELY.

HAZARD...
SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED ACROSS ALL OF SOUTHEAST LOWER
MICHIGAN THIS AFTERNOON.  THE MAIN HAZARD WITH THESE THUNDERSTORMS
WILL BE HEAVY RAINFALL...WITH SMALL HAIL ALSO POSSIBLE.

DISCUSSION...
A FRONTAL BOUNDARY JUST NORTH OF INTERSTATE 69 WILL BE THE MAIN
FOCUS FOR THUNDERSTORMS THIS AFTERNOON.  THE WINDS IN THE UPPER
LEVELS OF THE ATMOSPHERE ARE WEAK WHICH WILL RESULT IN SLOW
MOVEMENT OF THUNDERSTORMS.  WITH THE WATER CONTENT IN THE ATMOSPHERE
QUITE HIGH...THUNDERSTORMS WILL PRODUCE HEAVY RAINFALL RATES.  SOME
OF THESE RAINFALL RATES WILL BE NEAR 1 INCH PER HOUR...CAUSING
LOCALIZED FLOODING...ESPECIALLY IN LOW LYING AND POOR DRAINAGE
AREAS. ADDITIONAL BOUNDARIES SOUTH OF INTERSTATE 69 WILL AID IN THE
CONTINUED DEVELOPMENT OF THUNDERSTORMS THIS AFTERNOON.  AGAIN...THE
MAIN HAZARD HERE WILL CONTINUE TO BE HEAVY RAINFALL WITH PEA SIZE
HAIL POSSIBLE.

THUNDERSTORM MOVEMENT WILL BE TO THE EAST AT 10 AND 15 MPH.

SPOTTER ACTIVATION...
SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT ANTICIPATED.

OUTLOOK FOR SATURDAY AND SUNDAY...
ADDITIONAL THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED ON SATURDAY WITH MAIN HAZARD
FROM HEAVY RAINFALL. DRY WEATHER IS FORECAST FOR SUNDAY.

STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO...OR LOCAL MEDIA OUTLETS...FOR
THE LATEST FORECAST INFORMATION FROM YOUR NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE.
YOU CAN ALSO OBTAIN THE LATEST FORECAST ON OUR NATIONAL WEATHER
SERVICE WEB SITE.

HTTP://WWW.CRH.NOAA.GOV/DTX/ (ALL LOWER CASE)

BGM

The radar

The Detroit radar (KDTX), 65 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 16:34 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

5 hail, 4 flash flood, 4 thunderstorm wind, 2 lightning. Local standard time, as filed.

Hail, Tuscola

When
June 21, 11:36 AM EST
Where
Tuscola County, Millington
Measured
0.75 in hail
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
43.283, -83.533

Flash Flood, Lenawee

When
June 21, 12:50 PM EST to 1:50 PM EST
Where
Lenawee County, Adrian
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
41.895, -84.066 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Law enforcement reported 3 to 4 feet of water over roads on the east side of Adrian.

Lightning, Lenawee

When
June 21, 1:00 PM EST
Where
Lenawee County, 3 mi S of Tecumseh
Property damage
$150,000
Reported by
NEWSPAPER
Coordinates
41.895, -84.066 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Lightning struck a home and set it on fire. The home sustained serious damage from the fire.

Lightning, Lenawee

When
June 21, 1:00 PM EST
Where
Lenawee County, 5 mi SE of Adrian
Reported by
NEWSPAPER
Coordinates
41.895, -84.066 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Lightning struck a home in Palmyra Township. No damage was reported.

Hail, Washtenaw

When
June 21, 1:10 PM EST
Where
Washtenaw County, Whittaker
Measured
1 in hail
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
42.133, -83.600

Thunderstorm Wind, Monroe

When
June 21, 1:10 PM EST
Where
Monroe County, Maybee
Measured
51 kt (59 mph)
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
42.000, -83.517

A wind gust to 60 MPH was measured by a spotter. The spotter also reported that a few large trees had been blown down.

Hail, Wayne

When
June 21, 1:20 PM EST
Where
Wayne County, Hamtramck
Measured
0.88 in hail
Reported by
GENERAL PUBLIC
Coordinates
42.383, -83.050

Hail, Wayne

When
June 21, 1:35 PM EST
Where
Wayne County, 2 mi S of Taylor
Measured
0.75 in hail
Reported by
BROADCAST MEDIA
Coordinates
42.167, -83.300

Flash Flood, Wayne

When
June 21, 1:35 PM EST to 2:35 PM EST
Where
Wayne County, 2 mi S of Taylor
Property damage
$50,000
Reported by
GENERAL PUBLIC
Coordinates
42.285, -83.261 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

The general public reported water covering a residential neighborhood about a foot deep. Water was estimated to have collected to a depth of 8 to 10 feet beneath overpasses. The Southland Mall closed after high water swamped parking lots and caused several vehicles to overturn.

Thunderstorm Wind, Wayne

When
June 21, 1:38 PM EST
Where
Wayne County, Southgate
Measured
50 kt (58 mph)
Reported by
NEWSPAPER
Coordinates
42.267, -83.100

Several electrical poles were blown over by thunderstorm winds on Fort Street.

Thunderstorm Wind, Wayne

When
June 21, 1:38 PM EST
Where
Wayne County, Southgate
Measured
52 kt (60 mph)
Reported by
NEWSPAPER
Coordinates
42.267, -83.100

Hundreds of trees were damaged by thunderstorm winds.

Flash Flood, Wayne

When
June 21, 1:38 PM EST to 2:38 PM EST
Where
Wayne County, Southgate
Reported by
NEWSPAPER
Coordinates
42.285, -83.261 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

A newsported reported that an estimated 30 city streets were flooded by heavy thunderstorm rains.

Hail, Wayne

When
June 21, 1:41 PM EST
Where
Wayne County, Wyandotte
Measured
1 in hail
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
42.200, -83.167

Thunderstorm Wind, Wayne

When
June 21, 1:41 PM EST
Where
Wayne County, Wyandotte
Measured
50 kt (58 mph)
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
42.200, -83.167

A spotter reported numerous trees blown down.

Flash Flood, Monroe

When
June 21, 2:00 PM EST to 3:00 PM EST
Where
Monroe County, Milan
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
41.921, -83.494 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Law enforcement reported around a foot of standing water over roadways.

What these are

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.
Lightning
A lightning strike that killed, injured or caused damage.
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.

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

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in Michigan in 2002Every state in 2002This day in weather historyWarnings in Michigan, June 2002

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: 5302601, 5302602, 5302610, 5302611, 5302603, 5302604, 5302605, 5302606, 5302607, 5302612, 5302613, 5302614, 5302608, 5302615, 5302609.