The National Weather Service (NWS) is confirming that two small tornadoes touched down in Jackson County Wednesday afternoon. The severe weather impacted dozens of trees, uprooting some of them, and caused some minor damage to roofs in the area.
The line of storms moved through southern Michigan in the early afternoon and then through the Lansing and Jackson area, causing thousands of residents in Jackson County to lose power.
NWS meteorologist Scott Thomas damage was assessed in the area to classify the tornadoes as “weak” with peak winds at 80 mph.
“Through looking at the debris and damage, our meteorologists can figure out what was the wind speed? Where did the tornado start?” Thomas said.
The NWS determined the first tornado formed at around 2:39 p.m. near Orchard Creek and ended at 2:43 p.m. The other tornado formed a few minutes later around Stockbridge and traveled east ending at 2:51 p.m.
Thomas says these kinds of tornadoes can be common in southern Michigan during the summer and are not necessarily a sign of climate change.
“There are changes in the overall broader pattern. But it's very difficult to link things like a single tornado to be any part of that pattern.”
Power has since been restored to the affected areas.