A severe thunderstorm moved into the Detroit River.
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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 DTX wrote it up.
A severe thunderstorm moved into the Detroit River.
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 31, 6:05 PM EST, 1 hour 15 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DETROIT/PONTIAC MI 705 PM EDT FRI MAY 31 2013 .AVIATION... //DISCUSSION... DEEP MOISTURE PLUME CONTINUES TO STREAM OVER AREA WITH VARIOUS POCKETS OF CONVECTION EMBEDDED WITHIN THIS AREA AS WEAK SHORTWAVE IMPULSES PULL NORTHEAST WITHIN THE BROAD SOUTHWEST FLOW REGIME. ONE SUCH POCKET OF SHOWERS WILL PROGRESS THROUGH/EAST OF THE TERMINALS EARLY IN THE FORECAST PERIOD WITH A SECOND AREA OF THUNDERSTORMS THEN EXPECTED TO FILL BACK INTO THE REGION LATE TONIGHT INTO EARLY SATURDAY MORNING. THE MAIN UPPER LEVEL TROUGH DRIVING ALL OF THIS STORMY WEATHER WILL THEN EJECT EASTWARD INTO THE GREAT LAKES LATE SATURDAY/SATURDAY NIGHT WITH RENEWED SHOWERS/THUNDERSTORMS POSSIBLE LATE IN THE FORECAST PERIOD. //DTW THRESHOLD THREATS... * MEDIUM CONFIDENCE IN THUNDERSTORMS THROUGH 01Z THIS EVENING. LOW CONFIDENCE IN TIMING THUNDERSTORMS OVERNIGHT INTO SATURDAY. * LOW CONFIDENCE IN CEILINGS BELOW 5000 FEET OVERNIGHT && .PREV DISCUSSION...ISSUED 355 PM EDT FRI MAY 31 2013 SHORT TERM...TONIGHT PREFRONTAL TROUGH/MOISTURE AXIS WAS ABLE TO GENERATE A NEARLY SOLID LINE OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS DURING THE EARLY TO MID AFTERNOON HOURS OVER SOUTHEAST MICHIGAN...WHICH KNOCKED DOWN TEMPERATURES FROM THE LOWER 80S INTO THE 70S...HELPING TO STABILIZE OUR CWA JUST A BIT. HOWEVER...AIRMASS STILL HAS FEW HOURS TO RECOVER AS CLOUDS HAVE THINNED OUT...ALONG WITH SOME LOW LEVEL MOISTURE STILL WORKING UP FROM THE SOUTH FROM NORTHERN INDIANA. THE SLIGHT RISK OF SEVERE STORMS WILL CONTINUE RIGHT THROUGH THE NIGHT...AS 0-6 KM SHEAR ONLY STRENGTHENS THROUGH THE NIGHT...WITH 60-65 KNOT CORE MOVING INTO THE WESTERN HALF OF THE STATE TOWARD 12Z SATURDAY. MULTIPLE SHORTWAVES PROGGED TO ROTATE NORTHEAST FROM MISSOURI/WESTERN OHIO VALLEY AROUND OUR ANOMALOUS DEEP UPPER LEVEL LOW SITUATED ACROSS THE EASTERN DAKOTAS. THE CUMULATIVE 12 HR POP FOR TONIGHT LOOKS TO BE IN THE LIKELY RANGE...AS ONE SURGE OF MID 30S K INDICES LOOKS TO BE PUSHING THROUGH 3-6Z...WITH NEXT SURGE OCCURRING RIGHT AROUND 12Z SATURDAY. IT IS WITH THE SECOND ROUND THE MID LEVEL LAPSE RATES WILL BE MORE IMPRESSIVE...AROUND 7 C/KM BETWEEN 700-500 MB. NO COMPLAINTS WITH THE INHERITED MINS IN THE UPPER 60S AS WE REMAIN SOLIDLY IN THE WARM SECTOR WITHIN THE DEEP SOUTHWEST FLOW. LONG TERM...SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY THE BULK OF THE EXTENDED WILL BE FOCUSED ON CONVECTIVE POTENTIAL FOR SATURDAY AND SATURDAY NIGHT. BEYOND THAT...HIGH PRESSURE WILL SETTLE INTO THE REGION SUNDAY NIGHT THROUGH WEDNESDAY LEADING TO COOLER BUT DRIER WEATHER. A JET MAX ROUNDING THE BASE OF THE MID/UPPER LEVEL TROUGH OVER THE NORTHERN PLAINS WILL CAUSE THE LOW TO OPEN AND PHASE WITH THE POLAR JET OVER NORTHERN ONTARIO. THE INITIAL SFC LOW WILL BEGIN TO SHEAR OUT EXTENDING NE TO ONTARIO UNTIL A STRONG SHORTWAVE ROTATES AROUND THE TROUGH ON SATURDAY CAUSING INCREASED HEIGHT FALLS TO RELOCATE OVER SOUTHERN MI IN THE AFTERNOON HOURS. WE WILL REMAIN IN THE DEEP SOUTHWESTERLY MOIST CONVEYOR BELT AHEAD OF THE TROUGH THROUGH SATURDAY EVENING UNTIL A COLD FRONT SWEEPS THROUGH AROUND MIDNIGHT. WE WILL START THE DAY OFF WITH RESIDUAL CONVECTION FROM FRIDAY NIGHT LINGERING OVER THE AREA. MOST MODELS SHOW THE ATMOSPHERE RECOVERING THROUGH THE EARLY AFTERNOON OUT AHEAD OF THE COLD FRONT. MOST MODELS NOW BRING THE COLD FRONT THROUGH AROUND 04Z TO 06Z WHICH WILL BE FAVORABLE FOR THUNDERSTORM DEVELOP WITH PEAK HEATING IN THE PREFRONTAL ZONE. WE HAVE SEEN WHAT THIS UNSTABLE AIRMASS HAS BEEN CAPABLE OF THE PAST FEW DAYS WITH NO REAL FOCUSING MECHANISM...SO WITH THE ADDITIONAL INCREASED SFC CONVERGENCE...FRONTAL FORCING...FAVORABLE MID LEVEL LAPSE RATES BELOW 600 MB...BULK SHEAR INCREASING TO 40 TO 50 KNOTS AND CAPE TRYING TO APPROACH 1000 J/KG...WE SHOULD BE PRIMED FOR ANOTHER ROUND OF STRONG TO SEVERE STORMS IN THE LATE AFTERNOON AND EVENING. MOST MODELS SHOW VERY MOIST AIRMASSES WITH PWATS AROUND 1.8 INCHES WHICH MEANS HEAVY RAINFALL WILL BE POSSIBLE ANY STORM THAT GOES UP. STRONG UNIDIRECTIONAL WIND SHEAR WILL LEAD TO AN ELEVATED WIND THREAT AS MULTICELLULAR CLUSTERS TRANSITION TO LINEAR STORMS...BUT SEVERE HAIL AND ISOLATED TORNADOES WILL BE POSSIBLE AS WELL. HIGHEST CHANCES FOR STORMS WILL BE IN THE MORNING WITH THE REMNANT MCS AND THEN IN THE EVENING WITH THE FRONT. CONTINUED LIKELY POPS THROUGH THE DAY AS TIMING THE CLUSTERS IS DIFFICULT AT THIS POINT AND CANNOT RULE OUT SOME CELLS POPPING UP THROUGH THE DAY ON OUTFLOW BOUNDARIES IN THE RICH AIRMASS. THE SYSTEM WILL PULL OUT ON SUNDAY WITH A SECONDARY COLD FRONT SWEEPING DOWN THROUGH MI USHERING ANOTHER COLD CANADIAN HIGH PRESSURE SYSTEM WHICH WILL RESIDE OVER THE REGION THROUGH MIDWEEK. 850 MB TEMPS WILL DIP INTO THE LOW SINGLE DIGITS ONCE AGAIN THIS SPRING RESULTING IN HIGH TEMPS STRUGGLING TO GET OUT OF THE 60S EARLY THIS WEEK. SHORTWAVE RIDGING WILL LEAD TO SOME INCREASE IN TEMPS LATER IN THE WEEK WITH THE NEXT TROUGH TARGETING SE MI WEDNESDAY NIGHT. MARINE... SOUTHERLY WINDS WILL GENERALLY REMAIN AT OR BELOW 20 KNOTS (OUTSIDE OF ANY THUNDERSTORMS)...AS A WARM AIRMASS RESIDES OF THE CENTRAL GREAT LAKES REGION. A FEW ADDITIONAL ROUNDS OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED OVER THE NEXT 36 HOURS...WHICH MAY BE SEVERE. A COLD FRONT WILL TRACK THROUGH THE AREA EARLY ON SUNDAY...ALLOWING COOLER AND MORE STABLE AIR TO ENTER...ENDING THE CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS ALONG WITH FLIPPING WINDS TO THE NORTHWEST. && .DTX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... MI...NONE. LAKE HURON...NONE. LAKE ST CLAIR...NONE. MI WATERS OF LAKE ERIE...NONE. && AVIATION.....DG SHORT TERM...SF LONG TERM....DRK MARINE.......SF YOU CAN OBTAIN YOUR LATEST NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FORECASTS ONLINE AT WWW.WEATHER.GOV/DETROIT (ALL LOWER CASE).
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DETROIT/PONTIAC MI 335 PM EDT FRI MAY 31 2013 MIZ047>049-053>055-060>063-068>070-075-076-082-083-010900- MIDLAND-BAY-HURON-SAGINAW-TUSCOLA-SANILAC-SHIAWASSEE-GENESEE-LAPEER- ST. CLAIR-LIVINGSTON-OAKLAND-MACOMB-WASHTENAW-WAYNE-LENAWEE-MONROE- 335 PM EDT FRI MAY 31 2013 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR SOUTHEAST MICHIGAN. .DAY ONE...THIS EVENING AND TONIGHT THERE IS AN INCREASING CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS THROUGH TONIGHT...WITH A CONTINUED SLIGHT RISK OF SEVERE WEATHER. ALTHOUGH EARLY AFTERNOON THUNDERSTORMS HELPED STABILIZE THE ATMOSPHERE A BIT...ADDITIONAL UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCES AND INCREASING WIND FIELDS THIS EVENING AND TONIGHT WILL LIKELY BRING RENEWED ROUND OF STORMS IMPACTING LOWER MICHIGAN. WIND GUSTS TO 60 MPH AND LARGE HAIL TO AROUND 1 INCH ARE BOTH POSSIBLE....ALONG WITH TORRENTIAL RAINFALL AS STORMS MOVE FROM SOUTHWEST TO NORTHEAST AT 30 MPH. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY THUNDERSTORMS ARE LIKELY SATURDAY INTO SATURDAY NIGHT AS WARM AND HUMID AIR REMAINS IN PLACE AND AS A COLD FRONT MOVES IN FROM THE WEST. THERE IS A SLIGHT RISK OF SEVERE WEATHER FROM LATE SATURDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH SATURDAY EVENING. BEING THE LATEST IN MULTIPLE ROUNDS OF THUNDERSTORMS OVER THE LAST FEW DAYS...THE COMBINATION OF SATURATED GROUND AND HEAVY RAINFALL COULD LEAD TO FLOODING OF PRONE AREAS. THE PASSAGE OF THE COLD FRONT SATURDAY NIGHT WILL BRING COOLER AND LESS HUMID AIR INTO THE REGION SUNDAY THROUGH THE MIDDLE OF NEXT WEEK. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... DISPATCHERS...PLEASE NOTIFY YOUR EMERGENCY MANAGERS IMMEDIATELY. SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE NEEDED THIS EVENING OR TONIGHT. LCZ422-423-460-LEZ444-LHZ361>363-421-422-441>443-462>464-010900- ST. CLAIR RIVER-DETROIT RIVER-LAKE ST. CLAIR- MICHIGAN WATERS OF LAKE ERIE FROM DETROIT RIVER TO NORTH CAPE MI- LAKE HURON FROM 5NM EAST OF MACKINAC BRIDGE TO PRESQUE ISLE LT BEYOND 5 NM OFF SHORE- LAKE HURON FROM PRESQUE ISLE LIGHT TO STURGEON POINT MI BEYOND 5NM OFF SHORE- LAKE HURON FROM STURGEON POINT TO ALABASTER MI BEYOND 5NM OFF SHORE- OUTER SAGINAW BAY SW OF ALABASTER TO PORT AUSTIN MI TO INNER SAGINAW BAY-INNER SAGINAW BAY SW OF POINT AU GRES TO BAY PORT MI- PORT AUSTIN TO HARBOR BEACH MI-HARBOR BEACH TO PORT SANILAC MI- PORT SANILAC TO PORT HURON MI- LAKE HURON FROM PORT AUSTIN TO HARBOR BEACH BEYOND 5NM OFF SHORE- LAKE HURON FROM HARBOR BEACH TO PORT SANILAC BEYOND 5NM OFF SHORE- LAKE HURON FROM PORT SANILAC TO PORT HURON BEYOND 5NM OFF SHORE- 335 PM EDT FRI MAY 31 2013 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF LAKE ERIE...LAKE HURON AND LAKE ST CLAIR. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT THERE IS AN INCREASING CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS THROUGH TONIGHT...WITH A CONTINUED SLIGHT RISK OF SEVERE WEATHER. ALTHOUGH EARLY AFTERNOON THUNDERSTORMS HELPED STABILIZE THE ATMOSPHERE A BIT...ADDITIONAL UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCES AND INCREASING WIND FIELDS THIS EVENING AND TONIGHT WILL LIKELY BRING RENEWED ROUND OF STORMS IMPACTING LOWER MICHIGAN. WIND GUSTS TO 60 MPH AND LARGE HAIL TO AROUND 1 INCH ARE BOTH POSSIBLE....ALONG WITH TORRENTIAL RAINFALL AS STORMS MOVE FROM SOUTHWEST TO NORTHEAST AT 30 MPH. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY THUNDERSTORMS ARE LIKELY SATURDAY INTO SATURDAY NIGHT AS WARM AND HUMID AIR REMAINS IN PLACE AND AS A COLD FRONT MOVES IN FROM THE WEST. THERE IS A SLIGHT RISK OF SEVERE WEATHER FROM LATE SATURDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH SATURDAY EVENING. THE PASSAGE OF THE COLD FRONT SATURDAY NIGHT WILL BRING COOLER AND LESS HUMID AIR INTO THE REGION SUNDAY THROUGH THE MIDDLE OF NEXT WEEK. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT YET PLANNED FOR TODAY AND TONIGHT. BT/SF YOU CAN OBTAIN YOUR LATEST NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FORECASTS ONLINE AT WWW.WEATHER.GOV/DETROIT (ALL LOWER CASE).
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DETROIT/PONTIAC MI
351 PM EDT FRI MAY 31 2013
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0130 PM TSTM WND DMG SHELBY TOWNSHIP 42.67N 83.03W
05/31/2013 MACOMB MI 911 CALL CENTER
NUMEROUS 2-3 INCH BRANCHES DOWN AND ONE 10 INCH BRANCH
DOWN AT 25 MILE AND JEWELL RD.
&&
DELLIOTTPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DETROIT/PONTIAC MI
407 PM EDT FRI MAY 31 2013
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0207 PM TSTM WND DMG 3 S DECKERVILLE 43.48N 82.75W
05/31/2013 SANILAC MI EMERGENCY MNGR
ONE BARN AND TREES BLOWN DOWN...ANOTHER BARN WITH ROOF
BLOWN OFF.
&&
DELLIOTTPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DETROIT/PONTIAC MI
509 PM EDT FRI MAY 31 2013
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0500 PM HEAVY RAIN 5 E ALMONT 42.92N 82.95W
05/31/2013 M1.00 INCH ST. CLAIR MI TRAINED SPOTTER
24 HR RAINFALL TOTAL
&&
DELLIOTTThe Detroit radar (KDTX), 60 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 00:18 UTC.
1 marine thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
A thunderstorm which brought down large tree limbs north of Wyandotte moved into the Detroit River.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Lake St. Clair in 2013Every state in 2013This day in weather history
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: 456443.