The National Weather Service confirmed that two tornadoes touched down Saturday (July 24) night in Metro Detroit.
Both tornadoes were labeled “EF-1″ by the NWS, meaning the winds reached an estimated peak of between 86 and 110 mph. One tornado touched down in White Lake and another touched down in Armada. An EF-1 tornado also touched down in Genesee County.
Tornado rips off roofs, brings down trees, power lines in Armada
A local State of Emergency was declared in Armada after a tornado touched down in the village.
Crews were out assessing the damage to homes and buildings on Sunday. A business was damaged so severely during the storm that it no longer has a top floor.
The strong storm left behind downed trees and power lines. Trees crashed into homes and cars, and even broke windows along Main Street.
“Standing out watching the clouds spin and this tree start to spin and we dove in the basement and I heard all my glass shatter in my house,” resident William Poulos said. “Windows on the south side got blown out. I got a board through the south side of my house that went right through a dresser.”
We have confirmed a EF-1 tornado touched down across northern Macomb County, in the vicinity of and in the city of Armada, on 7/24/21. The damage observed was consistent with 105 mph peak winds. Please click the image for additional details. #miwx pic.twitter.com/Ce9cLMVJor
— NWS Detroit (@NWSDetroit) July 25, 2021
One injury reported after EF-1 Tornado moves through White Lake
The National Weather Service confirmed that an EF-1 tornado touched down in White Lake on Saturday.
The area saw winds of up to 100 mph. Many trees were destroyed and some homes experienced roof damage.
There were also downed power lines and some driveways destroyed.
One person reported having a broken arm due to the storm, but no other injuries were reported.
Here is the storm survey for an EF-1 tornado that touched down in White Lake yesterday evening. pic.twitter.com/wdvxNGciFc
— NWS Detroit (@NWSDetroit) July 25, 2021
What is the EF Scale?
The Enhanced Fujita Scale (EF Scale) is used to give a tornado a rating based on estimated wind speeds and related damage. The EF scale is a set of wind estimates, not measurements, based on damage.
The National Weather Service is the only federal agency with the authority to provide official tornado EF Scale ratings. The aim is to give a tornado an EF Scale category based on the highest wind speed that occurred within the damage path.
- EF-0: 65-85 mph
- EF-1: 86-110 mph
- EF-2: 111-135 mph
- EF-3: 136-165 mph
- EF-4: 166-200 mph
- EF-5: Over 200 mph
Click here to learn more about the EF Scale.