NWS Confirms EF1 Tornado (95 mph Winds) in Clare Co. Michigan Friday PM

This thread is almost entirely copied from a thread that Blake Harms wrote. Some of you may have missed it over a holiday weekend. Clare Co. is the county north of Isabella Co.

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. Here’s the official National Weather Service summary on the tornado:

The twister traveled through the county at an average speed of 21.1 mph.

Also Friday PM – thunderstorm wind damage was reported in Lucas (Wexford Co.) and in Gladwin. One-inch diameter hail was reported at Gladwin and at Red Oak in Ogemaw County.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WOODTV.com.