A large area of thunderstorms developed over Lake Michigan late in the evening on the 12th, as very moist air surged into the region. These storms were severe as they moved onshore, producing damaging winds, large hail, and a brief tornado.
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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 APX wrote it up.
A large area of thunderstorms developed over Lake Michigan late in the evening on the 12th, as very moist air surged into the region. These storms were severe as they moved onshore, producing damaging winds, large hail, and a brief tornado. However, the biggest impact was from excessive rainfall, which produced unusually severe flooding in West Central Lower Michigan. The Governor of Michigan declared a state of emergency for Manistee and Wexford Counties, along with other counties downstate.
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 Gaylord, MI wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Jun 12, 6:10 PM EST, 2 hours 20 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GAYLORD MI 710 PM EDT THU JUN 12 2008 .AVIATION...SLOW MOVING COLD FRONT WILL BRING SHOWERS/THUNDERSTORMS TO ALL TERMINALS OVERNIGHT. MOST WIDESPREAD ACTIVITY EXPECTED TO AFFECT KPLN/KTVC WHERE CIGS/VSBYS SHOULD OCCASIONALLY BE REDUCED TO MVFR LEVELS...WITH POTENTIAL FOR LOCALLY HEAVY RAIN...WHILE KAPN LOOKS TO AVOID PROLONGED PRECIP THRU MUCH OF THE NIGHT. LOW LEVEL WIND SHEAR A CONCERN AT ALL TAF SITES AS 900MB JET CRANKS OVERNIGHT UNDER STRONG WARM ADVECTION REGIME WHILE SFC WINDS DIMINISH TO 12 KNOTS OR LESS. AREAS OF MVFR CIGS EARLY FRIDAY MORNING WITH A FEW LIGHT SHOWERS...WITH VFR CONDITIONS DEVELOPING AT ALL TERMINALS BY THE AFTERNOON. JK && .PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 344 PM EDT THU JUN 12 2008/ DISCUSSION...SEASONABLY DEEP SURFACE LOW IN SOUTHERN MANITOBA. OCCLUDED FRONT RUNS SE TO A WEAK TRIPLE POINT NORTH OF ROCHESTER MN. COLD FRONT EXTENDS SOUTH FROM THERE TO EASTERN IOWA...THEN SW TO OK. WARM FRONT IN CONVOLUTED THANKS TO ONGOING CONVECTION AND MARINE INFLUENCES...BUT EXTENDS ESE TO NORTH OF CHICAGO...THE QUICKLY ZIGS NORTHWARD TO NEAR THE M-55 CORRIDOR ACROSS CENTRAL LOWER MI. AS EXPECTED...WARM ADVECTION-FORCED CONVECTION HAS REALLY GOTTEN CRANKING OVER NORTHERN LAKE MI THIS AFTERNOON. PRECIP TRENDS... INCLUDING THREAT FOR SVR WX AND HEAVY RAIN...ARE THE MAIN ISSUES FOR TONIGHT. TONIGHT...LOADING UP A RICH...JUICY AIRMASS IN NORTHERN IL THIS AFTERNOON...WITH TEMPS PUSHING 90F AND DEW POINTS IN THE UPPER 60S. MLCAPES AROUND 1500J/KG. LOW LEVEL SSW WINDS (30-40KT AT 850MB) ARE DRAWING THIS AIRMASS NORTHWARD...WITH MUCAPES NEAR 1K J/KG ACROSS LAKE MI AND INTO W CENTRAL LOWER MI. THIS ELEVATED INSTABILITY IS FEEDING ONGOING VIGOROUS CONVECTION OVER NORTHERN LAKE MI. INDIVIDUAL STORMS ARE LIFTING RAPIDLY NNE TOWARD PARTS OF EASTERN UPPER MI...WHILE SLOWLY DEVELOPING EASTWARD WITH TIME. MEANWHILE... STRONG CONVECTION CONTINUES TO DEVELOP SPORADICALLY ALONG WI/IL BORDER. ONGOING ACTIVITY OVER LAKE MICH COULD PULSE UP TO NEAR SVR FROM TIME TO TIME...WITH A FAVORABLE OVERLAP OF MUCAPE AND SHEAR (0-6KM BULK SHEAR 40-50KT). HOWEVER...OUR MAIN SVR THREAT WILL INVOLVE WHATEVER GETS GOING BACK TOWARD CHICAGO. CONDITIONS WILL BE FAVORABLE FOR CONVECTION TO BECOME WELL-ORGANIZED...LIFTING NE IN THE FORM OF BOWS AND/OR LEWPY LINE SEGMENTS. BUT...AS MENTIONED EARLIER IN THE DAY...WE NEVER QUITE REACH THE POINT WHERE WE HAVE SURFACE-BASED INSTABILITY. DEW POINTS WILL CLIMB INTO THE MID 60S BY EVENING...BUT BY THEN TEMPS WILL BE FALLING BACK THRU THE 70S. THUS WINDS WILL HAVE SOME WORK TO DO TO GET TO THE GROUND...BUT THAT SHOULD BE VERY DOABLE. THUS STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS ARE THE MAIN THREAT. INDIVIDUAL STORMS WILL BE MOVING RAPIDLY TO THE NE AT 40KT. SOME LOCALIZED HEAVY RAIN WILL OCCUR...THANKS TO BACKBUILDING ON THE SW FLANK OF INDIVIDUAL STORMS. WIDESPREAD HEAVY RAIN IS NOT ANTICIPATED. MIN TEMPS MID 50S NORTH TO NEAR 70 SOUTH. JZ REST OF THE FORECAST (FRIDAY THROUGH NEXT THURSDAY)...THE LONG WAVE TROUGH EVIDENT ON WATER VAPOR LOOP CENTERED TO OUR WEST ACROSS THE GREAT BASIN WILL MEANDER TO THE EAST AND STALL ACROSS EAST CENTRAL CANADA LATER THIS WEEKEND THEN REVERSE COURSE AND HEAD SOUTHEAST EARLY NEXT WEEK. RIDGING MAY THEN TRY TO BUILD INTO THE REGION TOWARD THE END OF THE FORECAST PERIOD. THIS IS EXPECTED TO LEAD TO CONTINUED SHOWERY CONDITIONS AT TIMES OVER THE NEXT FEW DAYS AS WELL AS NORMAL TO SLIGHTLY BELOW NORMAL TEMPERATURES...ESPECIALLY FOR THE EARLY AND MIDDLE PARTS OF NEXT WEEK. THE MAIN FORECAST CONCERNS REVOLVE AROUND POPS THROUGH A MAJORITY OF THE FORECAST. FRIDAY...SURFACE LOW MOVES NORTH NORTHEAST INTO NORTHEAST ONTARIO. THE COLD FRONT OCCLUDES AND DOES NOT APPEAR THAT IT IS EVER QUITE ABLE TO MOVE THROUGH AS THE EASTERN RIDGE HOLDS UP ITS PROGRESS AND A WAVE OF LOW PRESSURE MOVES UP ALONG THE FRONT (ALONG WITH ASSOCIATED DIV-Q). MODELS ALSO LINGER THETA-E RIDGE ACROSS THE REGION SO WILL CONTINUE WITH CATEGORICAL POPS ACROSS THE EAST...LIKELY POPS CENTRAL AND CHANCE POPS ACROSS THE WEST. POTENTIAL FOR SEVERE APPEARS TO BE LIMITED...DUE TO THE LACK OF SURFACE HEATING. BEST CHANCE FOR SEVERE STORMS TO OUR SOUTHEAST BUT ANY AFTERNOON CLEARING WOULD ALLOW FOR STORMS TO TAP INTO 30-35 KT 850 MB WIND AND AROUND 50 KNOT 500 MB WINDS. HIGHS WILL BE TRICKY WITH THE MILD START OFFSET BY EXPECTED ABUNDANT CLOUD COVER. WILL KEEP HIGHS IN THE 70S BUT SOME LOWER 80S POSSIBLE IF CLOUDS DO END UP SCATTERING OUT. FRIDAY NIGHT...MID LEVEL DRY SLOT MOVES INTO THE REGION AS STORM SYSTEM PINWHEELS TO THE NORTH ACROSS WESTERN ONTARIO. THEREFORE...WITH THE EXCEPTION OF POSSIBLE LINGERING SHOWERS/STORMS ACROSS THE SOUTHEAST IN THE EVENING PRECIPITATION FREE CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED. LOWS RANGING FROM THE LOWER 50S NORTHWEST TO THE UPPER 50S SOUTHEAST. SATURDAY...A BIT OF WRAP AROUND MOISTURE ROTATES SOUTHEAST AS UPPER TROUGH TAKES UP RESIDENCE ACROSS NORTHERN ONTARIO. THIS IN COMBINATION WITH DAYTIME HEATING MAY SPARK A MAINLY AFTERNOON SHOWER OR STORM. HIGHS IN THE 70S. SATURDAY NIGHT...NEARLY ZONAL FLOW ALOFT OPENS THE POSSIBILITY OF MCS DEVELOPMENT UPSTREAM SO WILL EXPAND CHANCE POPS EASTWARD. SUNDAY...LINGERING MOISTURE ALONG WITH AN APPROACHING SURFACE COLD FRONT WILL LEAD TO MORE CHANCE POPS. HIGHS AGAIN EXPECTED TO BE IN THE 70S. MONDAY THROUGH THURSDAY...UPPER LEVEL TROUGH REVERSES COURSE AND HEADS SOUTHEAST TOWARD THE WESTERN GREAT LAKES REGION LIKELY LEADING TO COOLER TEMPERATURES ALONG WITH THE CHANCES FOR SHOWERS FOR AT LEAST MONDAY. NATIONAL GUIDANCE HAS TUESDAY DRY...BUT 12Z ECMWF AND OTHER EXTENDED MODELS WOULD LINGER CHANCES RIGHT INTO TUESDAY AS WELL (BUT WILL NOT ADD IN POPS AT THIS TIME). INCREASING RIDGING/RISING HEIGHTS EXPECTED TO LEAD TO WARMER CONDITIONS BY THE END OF THE WEEK. HIGHS ONLY IN THE MIDDLE 60S TO LOWER 70S MONDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY THEN BACK INTO THE 70S THURSDAY. SULLIVAN && .APX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... MI...NONE. LM...SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY UNTIL 11 PM EDT THIS EVENING FOR LMZ341. LH...SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY UNTIL 11 PM EDT THIS EVENING FOR LHZ346>349. LS...SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY UNTIL 11 PM EDT THIS EVENING FOR LSZ321-322. &&
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GAYLORD MI 800 PM EDT THU JUN 12 2008 LHZ345>349-LMZ323-341-342-344>346-LSZ321-322-MIZ008-015>036-041-042- 131115- STRAITS OF MACKINAC-ST IGNACE TO FALSE DETOUR CHANNEL- MACKINAC BRDG TO PRESQUE ISLE LT-PRESQUE ISLE LT TO STURGEON PT- STURGEON PT TO ALABASTER-GRAND TRAVERSE BAY- SEUL CHOIX PT TO MACKINAC BRDG-NORWOOD TO MACKINAC BRDG- SLEEPING BEAR PT TO GRAND TRAVERSE LT-PT BETSIE TO SLEEPING BEAR PT- MANISTEE TO PT BETSIE-WHITEFISH BAY-ST. MARYS RIVER-CHIPPEWA- MACKINAC-EMMET-CHEBOYGAN-PRESQUE ISLE-CHARLEVOIX-LEELANAU-ANTRIM- OTSEGO-MONTMORENCY-ALPENA-BENZIE-GRAND TRAVERSE-KALKASKA-CRAWFORD- OSCODA-ALCONA-MANISTEE-WEXFORD-MISSAUKEE-ROSCOMMON-OGEMAW-IOSCO- GLADWIN-ARENAC- 800 PM EDT THU JUN 12 2008 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF LAKE HURON...LAKE MICHIGAN...LAKE SUPERIOR...EASTERN UPPER MICHIGAN AND NORTHERN LOWER MICHIGAN. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT THUNDERSTORMS WILL DEVELOP ACROSS NORTHERN MICHIGAN TONIGHT. SOME OF THESE STORMS MAY BECOME SEVERE...WITH WIND GUSTS IN EXCESS OF 60 MPH THE MAIN THREAT...ALONG WITH HAIL IN EXCESS OF ONE HALF INCH DIAMETER. HEAVY RAINFALL IS POSSIBLE OVERNIGHT...ESPECIALLY ALONG AND WEST OF I-75. LOCALIZED RAINFALL TOTALS GREATER THAN 2 INCHES MAY OCCUR BY DAYBREAK FRIDAY. THIS COULD RESULT IN MINOR FLOODING OF LOW LYING OR FLOOD PRONE AREAS. THERE IS A RISK OF RIP CURRENTS ON LAKE HURON BEACHES OF NORTHERN LOWER MICHIGAN. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY THERE IS A CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS NORTHEAST LOWER MICHIGAN FRIDAY AND FRIDAY EVENING. SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ARE NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. THERE IS ANOTHER THREAT FOR THUNDERSTORMS SATURDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH MONDAY. SEVERE WEATHER IS NOT EXPECTED ON SATURDAY. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE NECESSARY TONIGHT. JK
The Green Bay radar (KGRB), 143 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 01:31 UTC.
3 hail, 3 flash flood, 2 thunderstorm wind, 2 flood, 1 tornado. Local standard time, as filed.
Widespread thunderstorm wind damage occurred across the south half of the city of Manistee, and especially between 2nd and 10th Streets. Many trees were downed, and some structures were damaged, mainly by falling trees.
EF0 tornado with estimated wind speeds 75 to 85 mph. The tornado tracked through forested land near Skocelas Road, just south of M-55. Numerous trees and large limbs were downed.
Two spotters estimated winds at 60 mph. Several trees were downed, and a pole barn was partially unroofed.
Spotters in Manistee and Wellston measured around six inches of rain in a few hours very late on the 12th into the pre-dawn hours of the 13th. Radar estimated up to ten inches of rainfall along the southern border of Manistee County. Substantial flash flooding resulted, with considerable soil erosion, thanks in part to the sandy soils of the area. At one point the majority of roads in the south half of Manistee County were under water. High water entered some homes. In the city of Manistee, asphalt, stop signs, and light posts were flushed into Lake Michigan by the raging waters. The county road commission estimated $500,000 in damages to the county road system.
Widespread flooding developed in southern Wexford County, with isolated flooding in the north, thanks to three to six inches of rainfall in a few hours either side of midnight. Numerous roads were washed out, especially on the northwest side of Lake Cadillac, and near and north of Mesick. One hundred and fifty homes were impacted by high water.
Three to six inches of rain fell in southwest and central Missaukee County, in the very early morning hours of the 13th. This resulted in flash flooding, with several roads washing out.
Flooding lingered for several days after the heavy rain event ended, mainly on the Manistee River and its larger tributaries.
Flooding lingered for several days after the heavy rain event ended, mainly on the Manistee River and its larger tributaries. The Manistee River at Sherman established a new flood of record on the 14th, reaching 16.4 feet. Several homes just above Hodenpyl Dam Pond had to be evacuated.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Michigan in 2008Every state in 2008This day in weather historyThe tornado archive for Michigan, 2008Warnings in Michigan, June 2008
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: 116381, 116405, 116365, 116396, 116431, 116411, 116413, 116462, 116470, 116467, 118650.