While on this side of the state the 1956 tornado is one that will come to minds of us older folks as the BIG one.. But being originally from the east side of the state the 1953 Flint tornado is the one that comes it mind. June 8, 1953 was a warm but not really hot day across lower Michigan. The high here in Grand Rapids that day was 85 and at Flint it was only 83. And that 83 was also the high to the north of Flint at Saginaw. And here is a big surprise much of lower Michigan did not receive much rain from this event either. With 0.28” here at GR and only 0.07” at Flint and 0.06” at Saginaw. Here is some information on what became known as the Flint/Beecher tornado or as known in Flint as the Coldwater road tornado.
One of the nation’s most devastating tornadoes occurred in the Flint, Michigan’s Beecher district on Monday, June 8th, 1953, resulting in 116 deaths and injuring 844. To date, this F5 intensity tornado was the last one in the United States to result in over 100 fatalities. In a 2000 National Weather Service poll, both the general public, and area “weather experts” voted the Flint-Beecher Tornado as one of the the worst natural disaster in the state of Michigan in the 20th century.
Some facts about the storm.
- Date/Time: Monday, June 8, 1953 8:30 pm EST
- Fujita scale: F5
F5 definition: Incredible damage. Strong frame houses leveled off foundations and swept away; automobile-sized missiles fly through the air in excess of 100 meters; trees debarked; incredible phenomena will occur. Wind speeds approximately 261-318 mph. (Only F5 in Southeast Lower Michigan) - Fatalities: 116
113 occurred in a 4-mile stretch of Coldwater Road from 2500W to 1500E (Clio Road to Dort Highway) - Oldest fatality: 80
- Youngest fatality: 5 months
- Injuries: 844
- Hospitals involved:
Genesee County: Hurley; St. Joseph; Flint General; Flint Osteopathic; McLaren General
Saginaw County: St. Mary; St. Luke; Saginaw General - Damage: $19 million in 1953 dollars ($125 million in 2003 dollars)
340 homes were destroyed, 107 suffered “major damage”, and 153 suffered “minor damage”. Another 66 buildings destroyed or damaged to farms, businesses and other buildings. - Path Length: 27 miles
Start: between Linden and Webster Roads, Mt. Morris Township, Genesee County;
End: Five Lakes Road, Deerfield Township, Lapeer County - Path Width: 833 yards
- Speed of Tornado: Approximately 35 mph
- Highest Temperature and Dewpoint observed at Flint:
Temperature: 82°F at 4:28 PM EST
Dewpoint: 72°F at 9:28 PM EST - Lowest Barometric Pressure observed at Flint: 29.71″ of mercury recorded 8:28 PM EST
- First report of rain occurred at the Flint observation (airport) at 10:47 PM EST
- First ReDaily summary: High temperature of 82°F, low temperature of 49°F, 0.07″ of precipitation
- Total Michigan tornadoes June 8th 1953: 8
The Flint-Beecher Tornado was just one of eight tornadoes that occurred during that evening across the eastern portion of the Lower PeninsuTotal tornado fatalities on June 8th, 1953: 126
Other weather events in 1953. Here in Grand Rapids there was a mini heat wave in June as the temperature shot up to 98 on June 19th and then all the way up to 102 on the 20th while June 1953 was 1.6 above average. July and August 1953 were near average but there were a total of 21 days of 90 or better in 1953. September started off hot but the month ended up being below average.
Looking ahead this month it looks to be mostly up and down with a warm up this coming week and then a expected cool down the week after.
Slim
Ok, here is an updated list of some low temperatures across Michigan this morning (June 13th) Remember some of the readings may not be official.
39 Copper Harbor, Escanaba, Menominee
38 Houghton Lake, Baldwin, Houghton
37 Newberry, Sault Ste. Marie
36 Cadillac, Iron Mt., Manistique, Big Bay
35 Manistee
34 Leota, Mio, Marquette, Seney
33 Gwinn, Munising, Sawyer, Raco and Rudyard
32 Pellston
31 Stonington
30 Ironwood, Watersmeet
29 Wakefield, Doe Lake
27 Kenton
The low a both my house and GRR was 48.
Slim
Wow… I’m thinking tonight will be even cooler in some of them locations I hope you post this again tomorrow thank you ….. Amazing cold for this time of year I love it …..INDY
CURRENTLY 54* degrees out at thee YARDofBRICKS NE of GR feels like a Fall day love it …..INDY
CURRENTLY it’s 56* degrees out at thee YARDofBRICKS NE of GR is it September already ?? Lol…INDY
I have been on your website for over 3 mins now, and the information that you have shown in your article are really informative. Thanks for the view, I so much appreciate.
+1
Hey Slim check out the lake temps 40’s north 50’s south pretty cold for mid June standards ….Have a super Saturday…INDY
Covid 19 is running rampant in the open everything states! What a surprise! The virus is spreading fast in various states like, TX, FL, AZ, GA, AL, N and S. Carolina, AL, OK, etc, etc! Thank God for Whitmer, because of her smart and thoughtful leadership MI is trending in the right direction with far fewer cases! Who would have thought? Whitmer Rocks! Make America Respected Again!
What is concerning are the number of new cases in many states that are hot.So much for the heat killing the virus. One has to wonder what will happen when it turns cold again. Look for the cases to go up here in Michigan again now that more places are opening and so many are now going mask less.
Slim
Like any kind of virus until there is a vaccine people going to to get sick but was it really worth the United States just about coming to a end I don’t think so! All the protesters did not seem to care about the covid 19 it was unheard of then now it’s coming back such a hoax….INDY
Hey Indy will you be traveling to Tulsa, OK to attend the Trump rally with no social distancing and a few thousand people! Sounds like fun!
Probably sit in front of my big screen with a cold Sprite and crank it up or maybe have a party of 100 invite the governor out to thee YARDofBRICKS NE of GR tell her thanks for opening Michigan back up! INDY
Lol
Rock on slim and keep the scientific facts rocking!
This coronavirus is the strangest virus I’ve ever heard of. It’s very dangerous the way it spreads. It is so mysterious the way it lurks in schools but then dies at Home Depot. It can wreak havoc in churches; praying people are exceptionally vulnerable! Although it’s Mind-boggling how it vanishes when people stand close together holding signs, destroying businesses, homes, property, monuments, etc. Yet, standing to watch a marathon or a concert triggers its wrath. It is sneaky. It can spread when buying clothes at Kohl’s but not at Target. It is non-alcoholic. It can’t spread when you are buying… Read more »
Wow
LOL that is great, Indy.
Very ignorant comment! I now understand how you could support the most incompetence President ever!
There may have been some scattered frost up north last night. It did get down into the mid to upper 30’s in northern lower and even down into the low 30’s in parts of the UP. The coldest major station I see is a 32 at Ironwood in the UP and in lower a 36 at Grayling. Here at my house the low was 48. The current temperature here is 49 with clear skies.
Slim
Thanks Slim
We had a brief storm cell move over Otsego yesterday evening dropping a quick .10 of an inch of rain. There was some thunder and lightning to go along with it.
And a beautiful full rainbow after…sides tried to double….