A tornado was recorded on video as it made its landfall in Michigan's Thumb region yesterday. The video, which showcases the funnel cloud's journey across a field near Deckerville, was captured by Lt. Doug Confer of the Deckerville Fire Department and later disseminated by the Michigan State Police Second District, according to The Detroit News.
With the tornado's formation confounding expectations, no injuries associated with the incident were reported. Dave Kook, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service, "confirmed the tornado, citing the video and preliminary damage reports," in a statement obtained by The Detroit News. Michigan State Police, as explained on MLive, noted the importance of seeking shelter during a tornado warning, despite the absence of such a warning when this particular tornado struck.
The National Weather Service did not predict the event, but a Special Weather Statement was issued mentioning the chance for strong winds and possible land spouts. In the footage, you can see debris being lifted by the tornado, as reported by MLive. There were reports of a damaged barn and only superficial damage to a nearby home. This incident marks the 30th tornado for Michigan this year, ranking it seventh for the most tornadoes recorded in the state's history, according to MLive.
Speaking to the stealth nature of this storm, WWMT reported that around 35% of U.S. tornadoes land without an official warning. The closest weather radar to the tornado-producing storm is positioned in White Lake, nearly at the edge of reliable low-level detection range based on its 70-mile distance. Typically brief and less intense, "most are weaker on the Enhanced Fujita scale and last only a few minutes," which appears to be the case with Saturday's tornado. As per WWMT, further information regarding the tornado's characteristics is anticipated from the NWS damage survey.
