Suspected tornado damage reported in Sanilac County
By Meg McLeod, Kyle Gillett
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LEXINGTON, Michigan (WNEM) — After severe storms swept through mid-Michigan Friday afternoon, there are multiple reports of likely tornado damage in Sanilac County.
So far, Lexington has three reports of damage from a possible tornado while Lexington, Carsonville, and Applegate each have a report of wind damage.
The first three damage reports came in at 3:35 p.m.
In Lexington, a possible tornado uprooted large trees that blocked roads west of M-25. Winds were reported at 65-70 mph.
In southeast Carsonville, wind-driven hail reportedly “punched in” the vinyl siding on at least one structure.
In southern Applegate, a report blamed thunderstorm wind damage for downing trees and powerlines. Hail damage and shredded crops were also reported.
The fourth and fifth damage reports, both from a suspected tornado, came in at 3:43 p.m. in Lexington.
In one report, the damage on M-25/Lakeshore Road is said to continue for at least a mile. In addition to downed trees and limbs, there are also reports of a large limb landing on a camper and trees stripped of bark. No injuries have been reported.
In the other suspected tornado damage report at 3:43 p.m., many large trees are down along M-25 between Harrington and Aitken roads.
The sixth and final report of damage came in at 3:57 p.m. in Lexington due to estimated 48 mph thunderstorm wind gusts.
The National Weather Service (NWS) is the only organization that can confirm a tornado and has yet to officially do so.
NWS Detroit told TV5 it will have a survey team assess the damage in Sanilac County on Saturday, July 15. At that point, NWS will assign an official rating to the damage if they confirm there was a tornado in the area.
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