NWS: EF1 tornado touched down in Clare County

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) — National Weather Service meteorologists confirmed it was a tornado that caused substantial damage in one Central Michigan community Friday.

The tornado was rated by the NWS as an EF1 with maximum wind speeds of 95 mph, a path of 12 miles and a lifespan of 34 minutes.

Parts of the Lake George community, southwest of Harrison, sustained the most damage. Clare County Emergency Management Director Jerry Becker told News 8 there were downed trees, power lines and flipped or sunken boats. Several cabins, outbuildings and garages also sustained damage from falling trees. In its report, the NWS said “hundreds” of trees were downed.

Becker confirmed there were no reports of injuries or fatalities.

Hundreds in the area lost power, though it had been restored by Saturday evening.

The storm prompted the NWS to issue a tornado warning based on radar-indicated rotation for east-central Clare County, including Lake George. That followed a severe thunderstorm warning that had been issued for the same area about a half hour earlier.

The NWS survey determined it was a tornado after spending the afternoon investigating the damage.

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