HOLLY (WWJ) The first tornado to strike Michigan during November in nearly a decade touched down in Holly last night.
The National Weather Service (NWS) confirmed an EF0 tornado blew through the northern Oakland County village--with a population of about 6,000--on Sunday, November 10th. The NWS report lists the tornado's start time as 6:56 p.m. and end time as 6:58 p.m.
"The tornado began in a wooded marshland southwest of Holly and continued northeast into the Village of Holly before dissipating near the center of town," the NWS report read.
Holly Police reported significant damage in the area of Saginaw, Sherman and Church streets; including destruction to roofs and construction sites; and downed power lines and tree limbs.
Winds reached an estimated 70 miles per hour, according to the NWS.
NWS Director Mike Richter told WWJ's Jeremy Jenkins November is an odd time of year for a tornado.
"For the southern Michigan area…this makes the sixth November tornado," Richter said. "The last one was November 6th 2015. We had three tornados up in the Thumb Area."
An EF0 tornado is classified as winds of 65 to 85 mph. The highest level— an EF5— is winds greater than 200 miles
This is the first tornado to touch down in Oakland County during the month of November since the NWS began tracking them.
No injuries were reported.
A second EF0 tornado was also confirmed in Michigan on Sunday--in Gratiot County. The National Weather Service said the tornado was on the ground for about three minutes--across 2.4 miles--near Ithaca. Peak winds topped 65 miles per hour through the mid Michigan farmland. Only isolated damage was reported: a fallen tree and a few toppled headstones at a local cemetery.
