Two tornadoes touched down in Michigan on Tuesday, and the one that hit near Freeland left behind damage to 30-40 homes and numerous campers, while a second twister near Montrose caused no reported damage. No injuries were reported from either storm.
The first tornado touched down at about 1:14 p.m. just north of Freeland, about 13 miles northwest of Saginaw, damaging roofing and siding across the area. Five minutes later, another tornado touched down in a farm field about 3 miles northeast of Montrose in Genesee County, but the storm there did not produce a damage report.
That made Tuesday a rough day for parts of the state long before the evening forecast turned unsettled again. By 5:25 p.m., the NWS issued a special weather statement for southeast Michigan, warning that storms could bring pea-sized hail and winds above 40 mph to parts of Sanilac, Lapeer, Wayne, Oakland, Macomb and St. Clair counties. The statement expired at 6:45 p.m., though separate alerts stayed active for Wayne and Huron counties through 7:15 p.m.
The same weather system also slowed travel and sports. A ground stop for flights headed to Detroit Metro Airport began at 5:15 p.m. and lasted until 7:45 p.m., with delays averaging 47 minutes and topping out at 81 minutes. At Comerica Park, the start of the Tigers-Minnesota Twins game was delayed as the storms moved through the region.
For Freeland residents, the damage from the first tornado was the main event of the day, but the wider picture was a fast-moving system that kept affecting southeast Michigan well into the evening. The weather service also issued a heat advisory Tuesday for Lenawee, Macomb, Monroe, Oakland, Washtenaw and Wayne counties, with heat index values up to 100 degrees expected as humidity rose. More rain and thunderstorms were expected Wednesday and Thursday, leaving the state facing another round of unsettled weather after a day that already brought two tornadoes, airport delays and damaged homes.
