Did a Tornado Hit Mid-Michigan? Damage Tells a Story

A Tornado Watch was issued last night for the listening area. But overnight, as strong thunderstorms moved through, I wasn’t woken up by the sound of tornado sirens. My oldest son, who has taken to becoming a weather watcher like myself, raced into our room around 12:30 this morning and said, “It’s time to go to the basement.”

Severe Storms Move Through Mid-Michigan Overnight

While a Severe Thunderstorm Warning was in effect for us specifically, there were no Tornado Warnings issued for our community. My son told me there was rotation reported over Durand in Shiawassee County, and that the system was expected to move near Cook and Sharp Roads, about a mile from my house.

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We all went downstairs as heavy wind, intense rain, thunder, and lightning were pummeling our home in Mundy Township. Luckily, no tornado warning was ever issued, and we eventually tried to go back to sleep. But when I left for work this morning around 5:30, I was stunned to see debris and flooding slowing my commute.

Michigan Storm Damage Assessments Are Underway

This afternoon, I drove down Grand Blanc Road to assess the damage and was shocked by what I found. Multiple trees were uprooted or snapped in half, flooding remained in several areas, billboards were completely destroyed, and what appeared to be a metal roof was sitting in the middle of a field.

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ABC 12 is reporting that the National Weather Service has sent survey crews out to evaluate damage across Mid-Michigan and the state overall.

READ MORE: Rare February Tornado Threat Develops Near Michigan Border

So the question remains… did a tornado rip through our area last night? While we wait for survey results from the NWS, take a look at these photos and tell us what you think.