Tornado Warning In Washtenaw County As Radar Detects Dangerous Rotation Near Chelsea

An extreme tornado warning was issued in early Tuesday, 14 April, for central Washtenaw County as the dangerous storm continued to rapidly move across southeastern Michigan.

The warning was effective starting at 2:15 a.m. EDT, after radar detected a strong rotation within a severe thunderstorm that could result in a tornado.

According to the National Weather Service in Detroit/Pontiac, the storm was located near Chelsea at around 1:30 a.m. and was moving at approximately 55 miles per hour. Hence, residents have been advised to stay indoors for their safety.

Flying debris remains a serious threat to anyone caught outdoors. It was also added that damage or destruction to mobile homes, roofs, windows and vehicles was a possibility. Hence, residents are urged to move to the lowest level of their home or building to avoid getting hurt from the damage that may be caused by the storm.

Advanced Warning Issued for Areas on Tornado Path

Several areas seen to be in the path of the storm have been given advanced warning. These areas include:

• Ann Arbor
• Dexter
• Whitmore Lake
• Ypsilanti
• Dixboro
• Salem

Aside from these identified areas, nearby towns and park areas are also urged to take the necessary precautionary measures.

Motorists were also told to exercise extreme caution with several roads in the path of the storm. This included portions of Interstate 94, M-14, and US-23 within Washtenaw County.

In an update from Wisconsin-based meteorologist Alex Harrington, the weather track is expected to push out of the area. However, he added that attention now turns to Wednesday with more potential severe storms that may include tornadoes.

'We can't rule out a couple of tornadoes in Wisconsin, eyeing up another alert day for more severe weather,' Harrington said. 'Risks on Wednesday are not quite what we saw on Tuesday. Still can't rule out an isolated tornado, hail to the size of quarters, winds to 60 mph, and some localised heavy rains,' he explained.

Tornado Touchdown Unconfirmed

It would be best to note that these reports are based on radar-indicated rotation. This means that there is no confirmation that a tornado is on the ground.

However, the advanced warnings issued are necessary to give civilians ample time to prepare for the worst. Conditions could change and escalate quickly, leaving locals little time to react and take proper precautions.

Considering the storm is moving at high speed, the advanced warnings are needed. Meteorologists point out that while tornado warnings are usually issued only when there is a strong likelihood of formation, it would be best to be ready in advance.

Also, the Pellston Regional Airport, located at 1395 N US Highway 31, Pellston, MI, United States, Michigan, has reportedly been shut down until Friday. In a Facebook post, they mentioned how water was filling the runway and infield safety areas that were allegedly 10–12 inches deep.

'The water continues to flow on the airfield across both runways and onto the infield safety areas as well, as much as 10–12" deep in some areas. As a result, we have extended our closure until Friday morning at a minimum,' the post read.

While it said it may re-open again on Friday, that would depend on the state of the runway as well as the water conditions in the area.

'We will then evaluate our status and make decisions going forward. There are many things including debris removal, hard surface and soil erosion factors that will need to be evaluated and completed after the water hazard is gone as well before we resume normal flights here at PLN.'