Tornados anyone?

[Wrinkle]

If you live in the Saginaw, Flint area Channel 5 is so obsessed with storms of every kind that it can get a little over the top

After looking at this footage and destruction of this F-5 I cant really blame them for being a little skittish

YouTube - The Killing Wind - The F5 Tornado in Flint Michigan

[mkfarnam]

I remember at about the age of 4 in Cadillac,(above Grand Rapids) there was a tornado, I don't recall the results or if any damage occured, I do recall the siren and seeing this long black funnel in the sky and at the age of 4, I was scared sh*tless.
Now I live in Oklahoma and every Friday the storm sirens are tested. Just yesterday one siren closest to me came on and wouldn't shut down automatically. When they come on you'd swear an air raid was coming in.
Most everyone or property here in OK, including myself has a tornado Cellar seperate from the house.
As I got older I started understanding one of the main reasons so many people in Michigan had either a basement or a basement house.
I have another question for Michigan natives, but I'll post that on another thread subject " Does anyone recall"

"Tornado Alley"

[kaypurdue]

Originally Posted by Wrinkle

If you live in the Saginaw, Flint area Channel 5 is so obsessed with storms of every kind that it can get a little over the top

Haha, that is so true! That seems to be the case with all of the Flint/Saginaw local channels. I guess when there isn't much other news going on...

[jackie75]

It was just like the other day when there was a tornado watch....it was ridiculous!! It was just rain with some embedded storms here & there. It has to be a CYA kinda thing I guess...I can't understand why they issue so many watches & warnings, when 9 out of 10 times....NOTHING happens...no thunder, no lightning....nada.

On the flip side, a few years back, we had no watches out, no warnings....& the sky turned green. I wasn't waiting for any sirens...I grabbed my kids & went in the basement. About 10 minutes later, the sirens did go off....but I'm sure it was just because they saw some rotation on Doppler....nothing touched down.

It's no wonder people don't believe what the weather people say....they are always wrong!! My husband is really doubtful of any warnings too....I'm afraid one day when the sirens do go off, & he doesn't follow us to the basement..there really will be a tornado...I'm no statistics guru....but there hasn't been a big tornado here in the past 50 years...I feel like there is going to be one sooner or later....

[arpschneider]

Originally Posted by Ibginnie

This only goes to 1995. I'll try to find something more up to date.

Michigan Tornadoes

I remember growing up in EGR and one year growing-up in the 1960's and early '70's, I vividly recall a tornado that tore through the south side, parallel (and not too far north of) 28th and Alger Sts.

In fact, this particular tornado sliced through the nave of Alger Heights Congregational Church, situated on the corner of Madison Ave. and Alger St. It was so strange to see the Chancel left standing and the balcony, including the chandelier left standing and everything in the middle was completely gone!

The church we belonged to at the time (Redeemer Lutheran) was just a few blocks north of there and I think had newly-built their larger Sanctuary, so we were grateful that it was spared!

[arpschneider]

Originally Posted by jackie75

It was just like the other day when there was a tornado watch....it was ridiculous!!

<snip>

I'm no statistics guru....but there hasn't been a big tornado here in the past 50 years...I feel like there is going to be one sooner or later....

Whereabouts in Michigan is this?

Many of the lower Peninsula counties have many tornado stats. Kent County, MI, for instance, has one where a number of people were killed in the 1960's, so that's certainly less than 50 years!

[jackie75]

Originally Posted by arpschneider

Whereabouts in Michigan is this?

Many of the lower Peninsula counties have many tornado stats. Kent County, MI, for instance, has one where a number of people were killed in the 1960's, so that's certainly less than 50 years!

By Livonia...Garden City to be exact!

I lived in Redford too....never had a tornado there too as far as I recall.....

[arpschneider]

Originally Posted by jackie75

By Livonia...Garden City to be exact!

I lived in Redford too....never had a tornado there too as far as I recall.....

According to the stats I have access to, Wayne County had an F2 tornado on April 16, 1992 at 2:02 in the afternoon that injured 2 people. The last storm that racked-up any fatalities was back in 1957, so I guess from *that* standpoint, you would be right.

Nearby Washtenaw County did a little better; having its last fatality back in 1953 and a tornado with an injury in 1994.

Where we now live in central IL, you don't want to have a house W/O a basement and we've watched them wizz by within only a couple of miles of us!

BTW: I happen to have fond memories of your (my favorite) area of the state, because my wife of 32+ years is a Detroit (OLD Redford near Redford HS!) girl and I've done work in Redford Township (Beech-Daily/Grand River area)