CLARE COUNTY, MI - A Mid-Michigan tornado that was on the ground for 34 minutes during last Friday’s severe thunderstorms has been confirmed by the National Weather Service (NWS).
Damage reports that included flipped boats and hundreds of downed trees sent an NWS survey team on Saturday to Clare County areas including Lake George and Harrison. Friday’s late-afternoon storm had triggered radar-indicated tornado warnings in the area.
Saturday night, the NWS released the survey team’s preliminary damage report, confirming an EF-1 tornado had touched down in Clare County with estimated top wind speeds of 95 mph. No injuries were reported, but there were reports of trees falling onto homes in the Lake George and nearby areas.
The tornado touched down at 4:57 p.m. and stayed on the ground for 34 minutes, NWS team members determined.
“The first indications of tornado damage were near Bringold Avenue about one-third of a mile south of Mannsiding Road,” the NWS said. “The tornado traveled east/northeast across Lake George and continued east along/near Cedar Road and continued on to the east/northeast crossing US-127 and ending just south of the intersection of East Gladwin Road and South Rodgers Avenue.
“The damage included boats flipped on Lake George as well as hundreds of trees downed along the path - including some trees falling onto homes.”
The tornado’s path stretched for 12 miles, and the twister’s width was about 75 yards.
Tornadoes are rated on the Enhanced Fujita scale according to their strength, from an EF-0 to an EF-5.