November 12-13, 2003 High Wind & Tornado Event

PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DETROIT/PONTIAC MI
1013 AM EST THU NOV 13 2003

THERE HAVE BEEN NUMEROUS REPORTS OF LARGE TREE LIMBS AND WIRES DOWN 
THROUGHOUT SOUTHEAST LOWER MICHIGAN. MOST OF THE DAMAGE OCCURRED 
FROM WEDNESDAY EVENING THROUGH THE EARLY MORNING HOURS THIS MORNING.

THE FOLLOWING IS A LIST OF ESTIMATED AND MEASURED WIND GUSTS FROM 
STORM SPOTTERS AND AUTOMATED WEATHER OBSERVING EQUIPMENT.


PORT HOPE                     57 MPH    900 AM
BAD AXE                       58 MPH    256 AM
SAGINAW TRI CITIES            52 MPH    131 AM
SAGINAW HARRY BROWNE          57 MPH    116 AM
FLINT (12 AND FENTON)         83 MPH   1248 AM
FLINT (AIRPORT)               50 MPH   1235 AM 
PORT HURON                    51 MPH    834 PM
ST. CLAIR           ESTIMATED 60 MPH    845 PM
NEW BALTIMORE       ESTIMATED 60 MPH    845 PM
MT. CLEMENS         ESTIMATED 42 MPH    322 AM
ROSEVILLE           ESTIMATED 55 MPH   1140 PM   TREE LIMBS DOWN        
TROY                ESTIMATED 60 MPH    835 PM   LARGE LIMBS DOWN 
ROCHESTER HILLS     ESTIMATED 60 MPH    830 PM   GUTTER DAMAGE 
PONTIAC                       57 MPH    217 AM
WHITE LAKE                    55 MPH    330 AM
HOWELL              ESTIMATED 60 MPH    750 PM
GARDEN CITY                   46 MPH   1156 PM
DETROIT METRO                 53 MPH   1204 AM
DETROIT CITY                  45 MPH    249 AM
GROSSE ILE                    47 MPH   1156 PM
YPSILANTI                     74 MPH    636 PM
ANN ARBOR                     58 MPH    839 PM
ADRIAN                        53 MPH   1038 PM
LAMBERTVILLE                  51 MPH   1052 PM
MONROE                        52 MPH    915 PM
MAYBE                         49 MPH    930 PM

The following observations are from DTE Energy meteorological
monitoring sites:

Ann Arbor     52.1 mph  8:36 p.m. EST
Monroe        54.1 mph  9:14 p.m. EST
Howell        44.6 mph  10:27 p.m. EST
Lapeer        59.7 mph  7:57 p.m. EST
Maybee        57.4 mph  10:27 p.m. EST
Commerce Twp. 48.7 mph  11:07 p.m. EST
St. Clair     65.9 mph  9:14 p.m. EST
Detroit       54.2 mph  12:03 a.m. EST

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FORECAST OFFICE IN WHITE LAKE HAS CONFIRMED AN F1 TORNADO TOUCH DOWN IN AKRON TOWNSHIP AT 505 PM WEDNESDAY EVENING.

THE ESTIMATED WIND SPEEDS WITH THIS TORNADO WERE 95 TO 100 MPH. THE PATH LENGTH OF THE TORNADO WAS ABOUT 1.5 MILES LONG AND ABOUT 100 YARDS WIDE. SEVERAL GRAIN BINS WERE DESTROYED AND A MANUFACTURED HOME WAS PUSHED OFF ITS FOUNDATION NEAR THE INTERSECTION OF CASS CITY ROAD AND FOSS RD.

Map of the tornado path in Akron Township. Click on image to enlarge (11kb GIF).