(WWJ) The National Weather Service has confirmed a total of eight tornadoes touched down during severe thunderstorms early Wednesday morning in Michigan.
Metro Detroit saw two tornadoes: one in Ann Arbor, and another in Lincoln Park, at the Allen Park border.
The National Weather Service said the tornado that touched down in Ann Arbor was an EF-1, with wind speeds of up to 110 miles per hour.
It touched down along I-94 and Jackson Ave and crossed the freeway. Along the way it flipped a car, ripped a wall off the Veterans Memorial Park ice arena, partially tore the roof off of Yost Ice Arena and an elementary school. Dozens of trees were up rooted and power poles were snapped.
The tornado in Lincoln Park was also an EF-1, touching down in the area of Outer Drive and Dix Highway. NWS said its winds were up to 95 miles per hour, damaging several businesses — including a Subway restaurant — tore roofs of homes, damaged windows, and snapped trees as it moved east-southeast and crossed Dix into Melvindale.
NWS said most touchdowns occurred between 1:30 a.m. and 3:30 a.m., on April 15.
WWJ's Pat Vitale asked NWS Meteorologist Trent Frey: How rare is it to see so many tornadoes at this time of year?
"It's not the most uncommon thing this time of year," Frey said. "We're kind of placed between a lot of cold air masses and warm air masses during this period of change between the winter and summer.
"And so we can get these kind of volatile environments where these, you know, tornadoes are possible, and getting into late spring and early summer is generally our most busy, severe weather season."
However, he said, we are off to a quick start.
"Normally, for Southeast Michigan we average about five tornadoes a year. And for the year so far we're at six already," Frey said.
As for the others: NWS Detroit survey teams confirmed two tornadoes in Saginaw County: an EF-1 in Albee Twp. and an EF-0 in Bridgeport, where barns and trees were damaged. One home had some siding torn off, an attached garage had its wall blown out, and several homes had roof damage, survey teams said. A few empty silos were destroyed.
In West Michigan, two tornadoes were confirmed in southeast Allegan County. Officials determined that an EF-1 tornado started in Otsego and moved into Plainwell around midnight Tuesday, north of Kalamazoo.
The second in that area, officials said, was a weak EF-0Another EF-1 tornado was confirmed in the Carson City and Fenwick area, in Montcalm County, northwest of Lansing. Officials said that tornado was on the ground for 19 miles.
A dairy farm was hit hard, officials said, buildings were damaged, and a couple pf hundred cows got loose. Officials said the tornado then moved through Middleton, where it y ripped the canopy off the Sunoco station and damaged the Fulton Schools.
Surveyor's confirmed a week EF-0 tornado also occurred near Durand in Shiawassee County, doing damage to trees, siding on homes, barns and outbuildings.
While damage from these storms was reported across the state, no fatalities or injuries have been reported from any of the confirmed tornadoes.
There was damage to U-M's Yost Ice Arena, and businesses in Lincoln Park
There was damage to U-M's Yost Ice Arena, and businesses in Lincoln Park
