Deadly Gaylord tornado was the strongest to impact Michigan in 10 years
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Heavy damage has been reported in Gaylord, Michigan, after a large and extremely dangerous tornado was spotted in the area on Friday, killing at least two, according to local news sources. At least 12 homes were destroyed and more than 40 people were injured, according to Gaylord mayor Todd Sharrard.
The tornado was given an EF3 rating with estimated wind speeds of up to 150 mph, according to the National Weather Service. This was the first tornado of EF3 force or greater to hit the state of Michigan since March 2012.
As all the elements for severe weather began to come together on Friday, before noon local time, AccuWeather meteorologists recognized the worsening threat and chance of a damaging tornado later in the day.
AccuWeather forecasters highlighted a window of time between 2 p.m. and 8 p.m. as the most likely for tornado formation. By 3:28 p.m., AccuWeather began sending urgent alerts to local businesses and through its mobile app that a tornado was imminent for the Gaylord area. AccuWeather Chief Meteorologist Jonathan Porter noted that for anyone in the Gaylord area - or anywhere else that severe weather is brewing - the early warning through AccuWeather's new Premium+ feature "is a great example of how the service can help you stay better informed and safer."
A tornado warning was issued by the National Weather Service (NWS) at 3:38 p.m. local time for Antrim and Otsego counties in Michigan, which included the city of Gaylord. At around the same time, large hail was reported to the west of Gaylord, including a 2 inch hail report in Elmira, Michigan, which is about 10 miles west of Gaylord.
About 10 minutes later, the tornado warning for Otsego County was updated to note a confirmed large and extremely dangerous tornado, which was deemed an emergency situation, according to the National Weather Service.
At 3:48 pm local time, the tornado was spotted by a National Weather Service employee near the intersection of Michigan 32 and Murner Road, about 2 miles west of Gaylord. About five minutes later, the tornado was spotted again about 1 mile east of Gaylord.
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Damage caused by a tornado in Gaylord on May 20, 2022. (SevereStudios/Jordan Hall) |
Gaylord is located about 200 miles northwest of Detroit and about 50 miles south of the upper peninsula. It is one of the last cities before reaching the upper peninsula when traveling northbound on Interstate 75.
Frank McClellan was sitting at Taco Bell in Gaylord when he witnessed the tornado come through the city.
"I was sitting in the Taco Bell, right there on (Michigan 32), and the funnel cloud came right down 32 and for some reason took a turn in the Taco Bell parking lot and hit all the buildings behind us and leveled a bunch of them," Frank McClellan told WWJ's Sandra McNeill.
McClellan told WWJ that he heard explosions coming their way but remarkably, the tornado did not hit where they were standing inside the Taco Bell.
Little Caesars Pizza in Gaylord was one of the buildings damaged from the storm, with photos posted on Twitter showing missing walls and debris scattered around.
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Damage caused by a tornado in Gaylord on May 20, 2022. (SevereStudios/Jordan Hall) |
Following the tornado, the Otsego County scanner had reports of gas leaks, damaged homes and injuries. Multiple businesses in the area were said to have sustained heavy damage, according to WLNS-TV meteorologist Blake Harms.
Injured persons were being transported to local hospitals, according to the Michigan State Police in northern Michigan.
The Michigan State Police added that in addition to structural damage, trees and power lines were blocking roadways, warning people to avoid the Gaylord area as emergency crews responded.
Debris was also thrown onto nearby roads, including onto Michigan 32, according to the Michigan Department of Transportation. Interstate 75 in Michigan was closed both directions in Gaylord due to debris, according to WNEM-TV.
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Heavy damage in Gaylord, Michigan, following a confirmed tornado. (Twitter/@MSPNorthernMI) |
Photos of the damage posted on Twitter showed portions of roofs on homes torn off and trailers stacked on top of each other in a pile of rubble. More than 6,000 customers were without power in Otsego County as of 4 p.m. local time, according to PowerOutage.us.
The last tornado to impact near Gaylord was in 2014, when two EF1 tornadoes carved a path about 15 miles south and southeast of the city, according to Tornado Archive. Gaylord has a population of 4,286 as of the 2020 census.
Track these severe weather conditions and more with the AccuWeather app. For next-level safety, unlock AccuWeather Alerts™ with Premium+. These advanced, hyperlocal notifications are prompted by our expert meteorologists and are often delivered much further ahead of government warnings when possible.
