NWS confirms Lincoln Park tornado, classifies Detroit's as EF-2
The National Weather Service confirmed a second tornado touched down in metro during severe storms on Thursday, Sept. 3, and officially classified the Detroit tornado that prompted a local state of emergency as an EF-2.
The National Weather Service confirmed a second tornado touched down in metro during severe storms on Thursday, Sept. 3, and officially classified the Detroit tornado that prompted a local state of emergency as an EF-2.
At 4:12 p.m. in Lincoln Park on Thursday, an EF-0 tornado touched down for about a minute along Fort Street near Memorial Park before tracking into the park and lifting near the park's Senior Center, according to a NWS report released Friday night, Sept. 4.
The path length was less than a quarter of a mile, and NWS estimated the peak wind at 70 mph.
"Within this narrow path, the majority of trees had large limbs snapped with a handful entirely uprooted," according to the report. "Electrical transmission lines along Fort St were bent with wire damage."
Thursday's tornado was the second one in Lincoln Park since mid-April when EF-1 tornado touched down near Wall and Ruth avenues, and continued across residential areas and nearby businesses, just south of Outer Drive.
Detroit tornado wind peak estimated as 115 mph
NWS classified Thursday's Detroit tornado as an EF-2 on the scale from EF-0 to EF-5. The tornado path was 3.5 miles long and half a mile wide, and its peak wind was estimated at 115 mph, according to NWS.
It touched down along Hancock Road near Ellery Place at 4:14 p.m., according to NWS's survey summary. As the tornado crossed East Forest Avenue, it overturned an outbuilding and damaged the roof of and bent a fence behind the Preferred Meal Systems building. A large tree was uprooted and fell across Garfield Street. Damage continued to the intersection of Mt. Elliot Street and Gratiot Avenue where it detached traffic signals and snapped several trees.
More: Crews work to restore power, clean up debris in Detroit after storm
Damage intensity increased and became more widespread along a south-southeast path from the intersection of Mack Avenue and Mount Elliot Street to the intersection of Grand Boulevard and Lafayette Street.
Industrial buildings along Bellevue and Beaufait streets had roofs partially torn off and walls collapsed or blown out. Residential areas toward Concord Avenue and Canton Street had numerous large trees uprooted and snapped, electrical and lighting poles bent or snapped, and homes exhibiting roof/siding/window damage. Two vacant building collapsed along St. Paul Street near Concord Avenue. Sheet metal from the Utica Washers building was found 1 mile away in a field.
The tornado continued tracking along East Grand Boulevard and snapped and uprooted trees in Gabriel Richard Park. According to a news release from the Detroit Riverfront Conservancy, paths at the park were cleared as of Friday afternoon. The park lost more than 20 old-growth trees.
The Pekin Place on Jefferson Avenue had its sign almost entirely torn off and a nearby building exhibited substantial brick fascia torn off and roof damage.
The tornado continued over the Detroit River to Belle Isle before ending at 4:18 p.m., according to NWS. At the state park, a scull boat was blown into a tree near the Belle Isle Boathouse and numerous trees were uprooted or snapped.
The last time a tornado touched down in Detroit was nearly 20 years ago, on July 2, 1997, NWS meteorologist Trent Frey said.
Marysville tornado
Three confirmed tornados hit southeast Michigan this week.
On Wednesday, Sept. 2, an EF-0 tornado with an estimated wind peak of 75 mph hit Marysville in St. Clair County at 7:19 p.m. The tornado lasted until 7:21 and its path was just over a quarter of mile long, causing sporatic tree damage along a narrow path between Gratiot Boulevard and Highway 29, according to NWS.
Contact Natalie Davies at ndavies@freepress.com.
