Tornado Paths Offers a Look at Threats Across U.S.
At least eight tornados were confirmed during severe storms in Michigan in May, leading the public to seek information about the widespread tornado activity.
When a powerful line of severe storms battered areas of Michigan in May, the state saw widespread impacts ranging from straight-line winds, fallen trees and property damage to tornado activity. At least eight tornados were confirmed from May 15 and May 16, and the storms left about 250,000 Michigan residents without power.
The National Weather Service originally confirmed six tornados occurred across the state, hitting Saginaw and Calhoun, Genesee, Eaton, Kalamazoo and Livingston Counties. Two more tornadoes were confirmed on Monday near Gun Lake and in Ottawa County.
To track tornado activity, the University of Michigan Department of Climate and Space Sciences and Engineering offers a website showing where tornadoes have touched down in the U.S. Developed by Professor Emeritus Perry Samson at the University of Michigan, the site shows every tornado that has been reported within the past 48 hours. It combines data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and Google Maps and Google Earth.
Tornado Paths recently got a mention from the Detroit Free Press, as Michigan residents sought information about tornados during the rash of stormy weather. The website updates automatically every 10 minutes. If no activity appears on the screen, that means no tornados hit on that particular day.
View recent tornados: https://tornadopaths.org/