1 flood, as filed by the National Weather Service.
Every event with a place to put it; 1 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. 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 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 May 21, 7:15 PM EST, 3 hours 30 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DETROIT/PONTIAC MI 815 PM EDT FRI MAY 21 2004 .UPDATE... CONVECTIVE POTENTIAL RECOVERING RAPIDLY AT THE END OF DAYTIME HEATING. STORMS DEVELOPING OVER SW LOWER FOCUSED ON THE SURFACE TROF FROM ABOUT PORT HURON TO LANSING. MID LEVEL LAPSE RATES ARE MODEST IN THE SAGINAW VALLEY AND THUMB BUT CLOSE TO 7.5 C/KM NEAR THE OHIO BORDER, ENOUGH TO HELP SUSTAIN THE MCS AS IT MOVES THROUGH LOWER MICHIGAN THIS EVENING. EXPECT CONVECTION TO BE NEAR SEVERE LIMITS ALONG AND SOUTH OF THE SURFACE TROF/INTERSTATE 69 THROUGH THE EVENING AND EARLY OVERNIGHT HOURS. RAIN WILL BE WIDESPREAD OVER THE SAGINAW VALLEY BUT STORMS LESS INTENSE. STILL HAVE A SHOT AT A LATE NIGHT ROUND OF STORMS AS CONVECTION CONTINUES TO FORM OVER IOWA. FORECAST UPDATE WILL REFLECT A TREND TOWARD INCREASING AREAL COVERAGE DURING THE EVENING. FLOOD WATCH MESSAGE WILL BE UPDATED TO REFLECT LATEST CONVECTIVE TRENDS. && BT .PREV DISCUSSION... ISSUED AT 300 PM TODAY WE WILL EXTEND/HOIST FLOOD WATCH TO COVER ALL OF THE CWA THROUGH 6 PM SATURDAY (FOR NOW). VERY ACTIVE WEATHER PERIOD SO THIS WILL BE BRIEF. SEVERE MCS/BOW ECHO PROGRESSING EAST WITH THE BOW APEX ACROSS EXTREME SOUTHEAST LOWER MICHIGAN. SEVERE WEATHER, FOR THE MOMENT, WILL CLEAR THE REGION BY 20Z AS WE WILL BE ON THE SUBSIDENCE SIDE OF THIS DEPARTING SYSTEM WITH RAIN GRADUALLY COMING TO AN END. COLD POOL ACROSS WISCONSIN HAS SENT THE OUTFLOW BOUNDARY ACROSS NORTHERN ILLINOIS INTO CENTRAL IOWA. NEW CONVECTION IS ALREADY DEVELOPING, LIKELY INTO ANOTHER MCS, IN NORTHERN IOWA WHERE LOW LEVEL JET PER PROFILERS IS FEEDING MOIST AIR NORTH ALONG THE BAROCLINIC BOUNDARY. LATEST MODELS SUGGEST UPSTREAM MCS WILL TRACK INITIALLY NORTHEAST THEN TURN EAST PER CORFIDI VECTORS AND THICKNESSES. HOWEVER, THE WARM FRONT WILL BE DISPLACED A BIT FURTHER SOUTH SO AT LEAST FOR NOW THE THREAT FROM SEVERE WEATHER (HAIL/WIND) WILL BE LIMITED. THE MAIN CONCERN WILL BE FLOODING AS THE GROUND IS QUITE SATURATED AND FLOOD GUIDANCE NUMBERS ARE LOWERING WITH TIME. THE LOW LEVEL JET WILL STRENGTHEN OVERNIGHT (>50KTS) ACROSS THE PLAINS AS TROF DIGS ACROSS THE ROCKIES. THIS WILL BE SURE TO KEEP ADDITIONAL THUNDERSTORMS DEVELOPING ALONG AND NORTH OF INTERSTATE 80 OVERNIGHT ACROSS THE PLAINS AND TRACK EAST ACROSS THE GREAT LAKES. PWATS REMAIN WELL ABOVE 1.50 SO HEAVY RAINFALL A REAL CONCERN. SEVERE WEATHER POTENTIAL PICKS UP ONCE AGAIN SATURDAY NIGHT INTO SUNDAY AS IMPRESSIVE SURFACE WAVE DEEPENS A BIT AS IT TRACKS TOWARD THE GREAT LAKES. STRONG LOW LEVEL JET COMBINING WITH FRONTAL BOUNDARY DRAPED ACROSS THE CWA COULD PROVE TO BE VERY INTERESTING. EHI/S CLIMB OVER 2 WITH HELICITIES IN EXCESS OF 200 M2/S2...PRIMARILY ALONG AND NORTH OF INTERSTATE 69 WITH CAPES AROUND 2K J/KG. OF COURSE, WITH ALL OF THIS CONVECTION IN THE MODELS, IT WILL BE VERY DIFFICULT TO PIN DOWN FRONTAL PLACEMENT AND SEVERE POTENTIAL. WE ARE CERTAIN THAT WE WILL REMAIN IN THE MCS TRACK FOR HEAVY RAINFALL AND FLOODING INTO THE WEEKEND. LOOKS LIKE A BREAK ARRIVES FOR EARLY NEXT WEEK AS UPSTREAM TROF RELOADS ACROSS THE PLAINS. THIS WILL SEND ANOTHER COLD FRONT ACROSS THE LAKES NEXT WEEK AS IT STILL LOOKS COOL AND WET FOR LATE WEEK INTO THE HOLIDAY WEEKEND. && .DTX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...FLOOD WATCH...THROUGH 6 PM SATURDAY...ALL OF SOUTHEAST LOWER MICHIGAN. && BGM EXPERIMENTAL GRAPHICAL FORECASTS ARE AVAILABLE ONLINE AT HTTP://WWW.CRH.NOAA.GOV/DTX (ALL LOWER CASE)
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK FOR SOUTHEAST MICHIGAN NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DETROIT/PONTIAC MI 937 PM EDT FRI MAY 21 2004 MIZ047>049-053>055-221200- BAY-HURON-MIDLAND-SAGINAW-SANILAC-TUSCOLA- 937 PM EDT FRI MAY 21 2004 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR THE SAGINAW VALLEY AND THUMB .DAY ONE...TONIGHT A FLOOD WATCH IS IN EFFECT TONIGHT AS ADDITIONAL HEAVY RAINFALL IS ANTICIPATED. PLEASE REFER TO THE LATEST FLOOD WATCH STATEMENTS ISSUED BY YOUR NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE. ANOTHER COMPLEX OF THUNDERSTORMS IS EXPECTED TO TRACK ACROSS THE REGION TOWARD SUNRISE. THE MAIN HAZARD WILL BE ADDITIONAL HEAVY RAINFALL ON ALREADY SATURATED GROUND. THESE THUNDERSTORMS ARE DEVELOPING ALONG AND AHEAD OF WARM FRONT WHICH STRETCHES FROM THE OHIO VALLEY INTO THE NORTHERN PLAINS. THUNDERSTORMS TONIGHT WILL TRACK TO THE EAST AROUND 40 MPH. WITHIN THE STRONGEST CELLS...HALF INCH SIZED HAIL AND WIND GUSTS TO 50 MPH WILL BE POSSIBLE. .DAY TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY THUNDERSTORMS...POSSIBLY SEVERE...WILL LINGER THROUGH THE WEEKEND ALONG WITH HEAVY RAINFALL POTENTIAL. A FLOOD WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT THROUGH SATURDAY...BUT MAY NEED TO BE EXTENDED THROUGH SUNDAY IF CONDITIONS WARRANT. A PERSISTENT NEARLY STATIONARY FRONT WILL LINGER ACROSS THE STATE THROUGH THE WEEKEND. ADDITIONAL THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED ALONG THE FRONTAL BOUNDARY AND SOME MAY BECOME SEVERE WITH LARGE HAIL...DAMAGING WIND GUSTS...FLOODING RAINFALL ALONG WITH A POSSIBLE TORNADO. EXACT TIMING AND PLACEMENT OF THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE DIFFICULT TO ASCERTAIN AND WILL LIKELY CHANGE THROUGH THE WEEKEND. YOUR NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WILL CONTINUE TO MONITOR THE SITUATION CLOSELY. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... DISPATCHERS...PLEASE NOTIFY YOUR EMERGENCY MANAGERS IMMEDIATELY. SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY ONCE AGAIN BE NEEDED TONIGHT AND INTO THE WEEKEND. MIZ060>063-068>070-075-076-082-083-221200- GENESEE-LAPEER-LENAWEE-LIVINGSTON-MACOMB-MONROE-OAKLAND-SHIAWASSEE- ST. CLAIR-WASHTENAW-WAYNE- 937 PM EDT FRI MAY 21 2004 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR SOUTHEAST MICHIGAN .DAY ONE...TONIGHT ANOTHER LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS WILL MOVE THROUGH THE AREA TONIGHT AND BRING A CHANCE OF SEVERE WEATHER ALONG AND SOUTH OF INTERSTATE 69. THE BEST CHANCE OF SEVERE WEATHER WILL BE FROM 10 PM TO 2 AM. THE STRONGEST STORMS WILL BE CAPABLE OF WIND GUSTS AROUND 60 MPH AND HAIL AROUND 1 INCH...AS THEY MOVE EAST AT 50 MPH. A FLOOD WATCH IS IN EFFECT TONIGHT AS ADDITIONAL HEAVY RAINFALL IS ANTICIPATED. PLEASE REFER TO THE LATEST FLOOD WATCH STATEMENTS ISSUED BY YOUR NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE. ANOTHER COMPLEX OF THUNDERSTORMS IS EXPECTED TO TRACK ACROSS THE REGION TOWARD SUNRISE. THE MAIN HAZARD WILL BE ADDITIONAL HEAVY RAINFALL ON ALREADY SATURATED GROUND. THESE THUNDERSTORMS ARE DEVELOPING ALONG AND AHEAD OF WARM FRONT WHICH STRETCHES FROM THE OHIO VALLEY INTO THE NORTHERN PLAINS. .DAY TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY THUNDERSTORMS...POSSIBLY SEVERE...WILL LINGER THROUGH THE WEEKEND ALONG WITH HEAVY RAINFALL POTENTIAL. A FLOOD WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT THROUGH SATURDAY...BUT MAY NEED TO BE EXTENDED THROUGH SUNDAY IF CONDITIONS WARRANT. A PERSISTENT NEARLY STATIONARY FRONT WILL LINGER ACROSS THE STATE THROUGH THE WEEKEND. ADDITIONAL THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED ALONG THE FRONTAL BOUNDARY AND SOME MAY BECOME SEVERE WITH LARGE HAIL...DAMAGING WIND GUSTS...FLOODING RAINFALL ALONG WITH A POSSIBLE TORNADO. EXACT TIMING AND PLACEMENT OF THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE DIFFICULT TO ASCERTAIN AND WILL LIKELY CHANGE THROUGH THE WEEKEND. YOUR NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WILL CONTINUE TO MONITOR THE SITUATION CLOSELY. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... DISPATCHERS...PLEASE NOTIFY YOUR EMERGENCY MANAGERS IMMEDIATELY. SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY ONCE AGAIN BE NEEDED TONIGHT AND INTO THE WEEKEND. BT
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DETROIT/PONTIAC MI
1046 PM EDT FRI MAY 21 2004
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION...ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
1036 PM TSTM WND GST 6 NNW HARTLAND 42.74N 83.80W
05/21/2004 60 MPH LIVINGSTON MI TRAINED SPOTTER
&&PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DETROIT/PONTIAC MI
1050 PM EDT FRI MAY 21 2004
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION...ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
1030 PM HEAVY RAIN 2 N SALINE 42.20N 83.78W
05/21/2004 0.34 INCH WASHTENAW MI TRAINED SPOTTER
OVER ONE THIRD OF AN INCH OF RAIN IN 5 MINUTES
&&PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DETROIT/PONTIAC MI
1053 PM EDT FRI MAY 21 2004
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION...ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
1030 PM HAIL 2 N SALINE 42.20N 83.78W
05/21/2004 0.75 INCH WASHTENAW MI TRAINED SPOTTER
&&PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DETROIT/PONTIAC MI
1056 PM EDT FRI MAY 21 2004
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION...ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
1051 PM HAIL ANN ARBOR 42.28N 83.73W
05/21/2004 0.75 INCH WASHTENAW MI TRAINED SPOTTER
&&PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DETROIT/PONTIAC MI
1103 PM EDT FRI MAY 21 2004
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION...ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
1050 PM HAIL 2 E ANN ARBOR 42.28N 83.69W
05/21/2004 0.75 INCH WASHTENAW MI TRAINED SPOTTER
PENNY HAIL AT WASHTENAW RD AND HWY 23.
&&PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DETROIT/PONTIAC MI
1124 PM EDT FRI MAY 21 2004
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION...ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
1104 PM FLOOD TAYLOR 42.23N 83.27W
05/21/2004 WAYNE MI TRAINED SPOTTER
4 TO 5 INCHES OF WATER UNDER THE OVERPASS AT TELEGRAPH
AND I-94
1104 PM FLOOD 8 S TAYLOR 42.11N 83.27W
05/21/2004 WAYNE MI TRAINED SPOTTER
FLOODING OVER THE CURB AT S. TELEGRAPH AND VAN HORN.
1112 PM HAIL LINCOLN PARK 42.24N 83.18W
05/21/2004 0.75 INCH WAYNE MI TRAINED SPOTTER
&&The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
1 flood. Local standard time, as filed.
The Ecorse Creek at Dearborn Heights went above its 8 foot flood stage at 1045 pm EST on the 21st. The river crested at 8.33 feet at 1 am EST on the 22nd, then fell back below flood stage at 330 am EST on the 22nd.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Michigan in 2004Every state in 2004This day in weather historyWarnings in Michigan, May 2004
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: 5400253.