Bellaire, MI – Northern Michigan saw three brief tornadoes on Monday evening, September 22, though all caused only minor damage and no injuries, according to the National Weather Service (NWS) in Gaylord.
According to the NWS damage survey released Tuesday, the strongest tornado touched down in Bellaire, Antrim County, rated an EF-1 with peak winds of 90 mph. The storm developed at 6:02 p.m. on the southwest side of Bellaire, tracked northeast for nearly one mile, and dissipated near Craven Park at 6:04 p.m. Officials reported spotty tree damage along the path.
A second tornado, classified as an EF-0 waterspout, formed over Torch Lake at 5:50 p.m. before making landfall briefly on the eastern shore. With maximum winds of 75 mph and a path length of just 0.14 miles, the tornado lasted one minute and caused only minor tree damage.
The third tornado touched down at 4:50 p.m. near Lake Ann in Grand Traverse County. Classified as EF-U (unknown strength), it remained on the ground for one minute and traveled less than 0.1 miles. No damage was reported, and the classification reflects uncertainty in wind speeds.
Meteorologists emphasized that all three tornadoes were relatively weak and short-lived, part of a storm system that passed through northern Michigan on Monday evening.
The NWS noted that all findings are preliminary and subject to revision after full publication in official storm data records.
