On this day in 1953, an F5 tornado tore through Genesee County, killing 116 and injuring hundreds more in one of Michigan’s deadliest storms.
TRANSCRIPT
On this day in 1953 a tornado in Michigan killed 116 people and injured 844 more. This was long before the days of weather sirens, doppler radar and tornado warnings. The Flint-Beecher tornado was an F5, the highest rating on the Fujita scale. Winds ripped through homes and businesses reaching an excess of 200 miles per hour and left a 27 mile path of destruction through Genesee and Lapeer counties. Adjusted for inflation, the damages amounted to about $160 million dollars. So many perished, that a temporary morgue was made of the National Guard Armory building. The red cross went into action fast, many of their personnel reported to their jobs before being notified. While within 12 hours, all 684 available National Guard personnel were mobilized and on duty. First aid, food and clothing were quickly made available to disaster victims. Thanks to the Flint community and the Red Cross, Beecher, Michigan was quickly able to rebuild.