The National Weather Service office in White Lake Township is reporting a tornado touched down Thursday in Sanilac County.
Jordan Dale, a National Weather Service meteorologist, said a tornado reportedly touched down at about 8:22 p.m. Thursday about two miles from Decker near Van Dyke and Sanilac roads.
“There also were reports that came in at 8:09 p.m. and 8:13 p.m. and those were from Tuscola County four miles east of Kingston,” he said.
The weather service had not received reports of injuries or fatalities, he said.
“At this time, the damage reports we have received were of numerous trees down, a (travel) trailer flipped over and metal and shingles torn from a roof,” Dale said.
He said the Thumb area generally gets one to two tornadoes a year.
On Nov. 6, 2015, three tornadoes touched down in the Thumb. One of the November tornadoes left a trail of destruction a mile long and 75 yards wide.
A June 22, 2015 tornado traveled 20 miles across Sanilac County, causing about $15 million in property damage.
Another smaller tornado touched down near Emmett in St. Clair County for about three-quarters of a mile on June 22, 2015. Two others touched down in Washtenaw County and Saginaw and Tuscola counties.
According to information from the National Weather Service, St. Clair County has had 23 tornadoes in the years from 1950 to 2016. Sanilac County has had 17 tornadoes in the same time period.
by Bob Gross
August 18, 2017
