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 23, 1:15 AM EST, 8 hours earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DETROIT/PONTIAC MI 215 AM EDT SUN MAY 23 2004 .DISCUSSION... A STORMY SUNDAY ON TAP. RIGHT NOW SCATTERED TO NUMEROUS THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY OVER SOUTHEAST MICHIGAN BE HAVING ITSELF. CURRENT MID-LEVEL LAPSE RATES OVER THE AREA REMAIN MARGINAL (5.5 TO 6 C/KM). THAT IS GOING TO CHANGE LATER TODAY. THE STORMS ROLLING THROUGH NOW ARE PRODUCING SOME HEAVY RAIN HOWEVER...WITH ONE HOUR PRECIP RATES BETWEEN A HALF AN INCH AND ONE INCH BETWEEN M-59 AND I-69. CLOSED UPPER LOW OVER THE NORTHERN PLAINS/MIDWEST TO HEAD INTO THE WESTERN GREAT LAKES REGION BY THIS EVENING. AT LEAST THIS WILL PROVIDE A REPRIEVE TO THIS STORMY PATTERN FOR ONE DAY (MONDAY). OF COURSE...WE STILL NEED TO GET THROUGH TODAY AND TONIGHT. GOOD UPPER LEVEL DIVERGENT FLOW ALOFT/LARGE SCALE ASCENT OVER LOWER MICHIGAN TODAY/THIS EVENING SHOULD LEAD TO CATEGORICAL SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS....AS THE FRONTAL BOUNDARY CONTINUES TO PROVIDE A GOOD FOCUS TO THE ACTIVITY. HEAVIEST RAIN EXPECTED ALONG AND JUST NORTH OF THE FRONTAL BOUNDARY WHICH IS CURRENTLY JUST SOUTH OF I-69. WITH SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS AROUND FOR MUCH OF THE DAY...THIS SHOULD HELP LIMIT THE INSTABILITY A LITTLE BIT. HOWEVER...GOOD DYNAMICS THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING SUPPORTS A CHANCE OF SEVERE WEATHER. FLOODING REMAINS A MAJOR CONCERN....AS PRECIPITABLE WATER VALUES REMAIN JUST ABOVE 1.50 INCHES. THE MAIN AREA OF CONCERN HAS SHIFTED TOWARD THE NORTHERN HALF OF THE CWA. YESTERDAYS THUNDERSTORMS DEPOSITED A QUICK INCH OF RAIN IN MANY LOCATIONS. EXPECTING A GOOD INCH OF RAIN ALONG AND JUST NORTH OF THE FRONTAL BOUNDARY...WITH AREAS UNDERNEATH SOME OF THE STRONGER THUNDERSTORMS SEEING CLOSER TO 3 INCHES. BASED ON THIS AMOUNT OF RAINFALL...WILL GO AHEAD AND ISSUE A FLOOD WARNING FOR M-59 NORTH THROUGH MIDNIGHT. THE DETROIT METRO AREA IS BY NO MEANS IN THE CLEAR EITHER. WILL BE ISSUING A FLOOD WATCH FOR LOCATIONS SOUTH OF M-59 THROUGH MIDNIGHT. BETTER CHANCE OF SEVERE WEATHER ALONG AND SOUTH OF M-59. HOWEVER...JUST NOT SURE HOW EXTENSIVE THE HEAVY RAINFALL WILL BE...THUS PREFER TO GO WITH A WATCH. ANY SEVERE STORMS COULD EASILY DUMP 2 TO 3 INCHES OF RAIN IN A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME. SO...DONT BE SURPRISED TO SEE A FLASH FLOOD WARNING ISSUED FOR THE DETROIT METRO AREA SOMETIME DURING THE DAY OR EVENING HOURS. LIKE YESTERDAY...THERE WILL BE TORNADO THREAT WITH GOOD LOW LEVEL HELICITY. SHORT TERM MODELS SEEM TO BE IN GOOD AGREEMENT WITH DRY SLOT WORKING INTO SOUTHEAST MICHIGAN BY MONDAY MORNING. WILL TAPER POPS OFF TO LOW CHANCE AFTER MIDNIGHT. SHORTWAVE RIDGING TO BUILD INTO THE AREA DURING MONDAY. LOTS OF LOW LEVEL MOISTURE IN PLACE WITH THE SATURATED GROUND. PLENTY OF CU LIKELY TO DEVELOP. ETA CU RULE INDICATING A BROKEN SKY COVER. TOUGH CALL...BUT DONT THINK THE SUBSIDENCE INVERSION WILL BE TERRIBLY STRONG. SO...THINK WE SHOULD GET ENOUGH MIXING TO CONTINUE WITH THE PARTLY SUNNY SKIES IN AFTERNOON. NEXT SHORTWAVE ALREADY EXPECTED TO SLIDE INTO THE WESTERN GREAT LAKES BY TUESDAY MORNING. SURFACE REFLECTION THEN TRACKS THROUGH EXTREME SOUTHERN LOWER MICHIGAN DURING THE DAY. THIS SHOULD BE GOOD ENOUGH FOR LIKELY POPS...WITH TIMING THE ONLY REAL QUESTION. THOUGHT ABOUT ADDING CHANCE POPS LATE MONDAY NIGHT ACROSS WESTERN AREA. WILL HOLD OFF FOR NOW...AS THE RIDGE AXIS LOOKS TO REMAIN OVER THE AREA THROUGH THE NIGHT. && .DTX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... FLOOD WARNING FOR MIZ047>049-053>055-060>063-068>070 THROUGH MIDNIGHT. FLOOD WATCH FOR MIZ075-076-082-083 THROUGH MIDNIGHT. && SF EXPERIMENTAL GRAPHICAL FORECASTS ARE AVAILABLE ONLINE AT HTTP://WWW.CRH.NOAA.GOV/DTX (ALL LOWER CASE)
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DETROIT/PONTIAC MI 500 AM EDT SUN MAY 23 2004 MIZ047>049-053>055-060>063-068>070-241030- BAY-GENESEE-HURON-LAPEER-LIVINGSTON-MACOMB-MIDLAND-OAKLAND-SAGINAW- SANILAC-SHIAWASSEE-ST. CLAIR-TUSCOLA- 500 AM EDT SUN MAY 23 2004 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR LOCATIONS ALONG AND NORTH OF M-59. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT A FLOOD WARNING IS IN EFFECT THROUGH MIDNIGHT MONDAY. PLEASE REFER TO THE LATEST FLOOD WARNING STATEMENTS ISSUED BY YOUR NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FOR FURTHER DETAILS. THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TODAY AND TONIGHT...SOME OF WHICH MAY BE SEVERE. THERE IS A SLIGHT CHANCE SOME OF THUNDERSTORMS THIS MORNING MAY BE SEVERE ALONG AND SOUTH OF I-69...WITH DAMAGING WIND GUSTS TO 70 MPH AND HAIL UP TO ONE INCH IN DIAMETER BEING THE MAIN HAZARDS. THERE IS A BETTER CHANCE OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING ACROSS THE ENTIRE AREA. LARGE HAIL OVER 1 INCH IN DIAMETER...DAMAGING WIND GUSTS TO 80 MPH...AND TORNADOES ARE ALL POSSIBLE. THUNDERSTORM MOVEMENT WILL BE EAST AT AROUND 35 MPH. THE CHANCE FOR SEVERE WEATHER SHOULD END BY MIDNIGHT...WITH JUST A CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS THE REST OF THE NIGHT. A NEARLY STATIONARY FRONTAL BOUNDARY OVER SOUTHEAST MICHIGAN WILL CONTINUE TO FOCUS SHOWER AND THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY OVER THE REGION TODAY. THIS FRONTAL BOUNDARY WILL FINALLY EXIT THE AREA MONDAY MORNING. .DAY TWO THROUGH SEVEN...MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE TUESDAY AND FRIDAY. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... PLEASE NOTIFY YOUR EMERGENCY MANAGERS IMMEDIATELY. SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL LIKELY BE NEEDED THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING. MIZ075-076-082-083-241030- LENAWEE-MONROE-WASHTENAW-WAYNE- 500 AM EDT SUN MAY 23 2004 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR LOCATIONS SOUTH OF M-59. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT A FLOOD WATCH IS IN EFFECT THROUGH MIDNIGHT MONDAY. PLEASE REFER TO THE LATEST FLOOD WATCH STATEMENT ISSUED BY YOUR NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FOR FURTHER DETAILS. THUNDERSTORMS ARE LIKELY TODAY AND TONIGHT...SOME OF WHICH MAY BE SEVERE. THERE IS A SLIGHT CHANCE SOME OF THUNDERSTORMS THIS MORNING MAY BE SEVERE...WITH DAMAGING WIND GUSTS TO 70 MPH AND HAIL UP TO ONE INCH IN DIAMETER BEING THE MAIN HAZARDS. THERE IS A BETTER CHANCE OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING. LARGE HAIL OVER 1 INCH IN DIAMETER...DAMAGING WIND GUSTS TO 80 MPH...AND TORNADOES ARE ALL POSSIBLE. THUNDERSTORM MOVEMENT WILL BE EAST AT AROUND 35 MPH. THE CHANCE FOR SEVERE WEATHER SHOULD END BY MIDNIGHT...WITH JUST A CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS THE REST OF THE NIGHT. A NEARLY STATIONARY FRONTAL BOUNDARY OVER SOUTHEAST MICHIGAN WILL CONTINUE TO FOCUS SHOWER AND THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY OVER THE REGION TODAY. THIS FRONTAL BOUNDARY WILL FINALLY EXIT THE AREA MONDAY MORNING. .DAY TWO THROUGH SEVEN...MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE TUESDAY AND FRIDAY. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... PLEASE NOTIFY YOUR EMERGENCY MANAGERS IMMEDIATELY. SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL LIKELY BE NEEDED THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING. SF
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
1 flood. Local standard time, as filed.
The Shiawassee River near Fergus went above its 10 foot flood stage at 915 am EST on the 23rd. The river crested at 12.75 feet at 12 am EST on the 25th, then fell back below flood stage at 548 pm EST on the 27th.
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: 5400003.