2019 North Manitou Island-Northport, Michigan Tornado

The North Manitou Island-Northport, Michigan occured on August 11th, 2019. It is often considered the strongest tornado to originate as a waterspout. At 2:20 PM, a small system of intense tunderstorms producing winds in between 60-70 MPH, and large waves. Around the same time, the National Weather service in Gaylord, Michigan issued a a special Marine warning for the area around North Manitou and South Manitou Islands for the strong winds, large waves, and a reported waterspout. This waterspout would end up being the waterspout that would end up becoming the tornado. around 2:26 PM, the National Weather service in Gaylord issue a tornado warning for North Manitou island, where reports of a large and dangerous waterspout moving towards the island were coming from. Soon after this, people in the islands only community, North Manitou, and the North Manitou Family campground began evacuting to the south side of the island, and some were evacuated via the ferry running in between North Manitou and the city of Leland, whitch just happend to be on its last run before the storms struck. At around 2:35, the waterspout, now a tornado, had come ashore on the island. The tornado quickly began to commit Mid end and High end EF2 damage to the many trees on this isolated part of the island. The tornado would continue quickly moving eastward accross the wilderness of the island, doing more tree damage. And isolated area of EF3 tree damage would be observed near Lake Manitou. The tornado would once again briefly become a waterspout as it crossed over Lake Manitou. Shortly after, the twister would reach the community of North Manitou. The tornado would severly damage or destroy many of its historic buildings and service buildings, destroying all of the historic 100 hundred year old cottages that were built by Chicago buisnessman in the late 19th century. The Ranger station on the island would suffer the worst damage of the structures, with the building being flattend. The islands only water spiggot and its only outhouse would also be destroyed. The islands only dock would be no where to be seen after, and the southern tip of the campground would be witness to more severe damage, as three campers in this part of the campground would be turned over several times, one of whitch thrown 10 feet into the water. This is also the are where the twister would reach its widest, at an unprecidented 0.7 Miles wide. This area would would be rated as high end EF3 damage, do to the several thousand pounds RV's being turned over, and of course the one whitch was thrown, and the damage done to to the Ranger station. This area was going to be rated as low end EF4 damage, but it ended up being found that the Ranger station was not propperly built or anchored to its foundation, and the trailer that was flipped was not as heavy as the first thought. The tornado would then once again go over the water. Behind it, it left 1 person dead on the island, as one of the Rangers at the Ranger station stayed behind for unkown reasons. When he saw the twister, it was to late. He had a ranger cart, but it was not fast enough, and their were no boats left on the dock, so he decided to wait it out in the station, were he would meet his demise. Their would also be 1 more injury, as another guy who was on the north side of the campground, was hit by a large branch, resulting in him being knocked out. It would be found out he had suffered from a concusion. The twister, now a waterspout over Lake Michigan would make its way towards Northport. The special marine warning for the area would be continued do to the winds and the waterspout. Around 2:55, the twister would come ashore, being a tornado once more near Seth road. Several houses and cottages along Seth Road and the nearby Old Farm road would be hit. These particular houses would feel the worst of the damage. Low end EF4 damage would be found to a large, well built home on Old Farm Road. This house would have its entire second floor ripped off, and nearly all of its exterior walls removed. A brick outbuilding near by would also be flattend, although it was built poorly and was on a weak, very cracked foundation. Around this time the National Weather service office in Gaylord would issue a PDS Tornado warning for northern Leelanau county, including the village of Northport after reports of the severe damage on North Manitou Island and the size of the tornado began to come in. The twsiter would continue doing high end and mid end EF3 damage to multiple houses and outbuildings along Seth Road before it would begin to dissipate, doing Low end and Mid end EF1 damage to crops along Foxview Road and Nelson Road. The tornado would then begin to approach the village of Northport. The twister would begin to re intensify over the Northport Creek Golf course, doing low end EF3 damage to the golf courses maitanence buildings and Main building. The village cemtary would be followed up, as several grave stones would be toppled over do to the winds. The Northport recycling plant and the Leelanau township fire Department would also suffer EF3 damage. Around this area the tornado would reach a secondary peak of width, although a majority of the outer reaches of the tornado would only suffer EF0 and EF1 damage. Accross teh street from the fire department, several wareouse buldings would have their walls and roofs collapsed in on them and would have much of their equipment damaged as EF2 damage would be felt their. Sadly though, two people in one of these warehouses would be killed while taking shelter in a bathroom, as the weight of the roof would crush them. The twister would then go over a wooded area before inflicting high end EF1 damage to several well built houses on Shore drive, with the worst damage being half of a roof torn off. This would be followed by the Northport Boat yard taking a direct hit, resulting in several boats being capsized and severely damaged. The buildings at the boat yard would suffer Low end EF2 damage, as their roofs would be torn off and flung into a house down the road, and their roofs would be collapsed in. The docks at the boat yard would also be shredded.

The tornado would then once again become a waterspout, this time over Northport Bay. This would not last long though, as the waterspout would come back ashore for a short time on the Northport Point peninsula, doing EF1 damage to several well built houses on Brandon and Birchwood drives, and would sink several docks and damage quite a few boats, before exiting into Grand Traverse Bay. The tornado would then quickly dissipate, dying over the Bay before it had a chance to come back ashore near the town of Eastport. Behind, the tornado would leave 3 deaths, and 5 injuries, 1 serious, 4 minor and damage to hundreds of buildings. The govenor of Michigan would end of declaring a state of Emergency for the village of Northport, helping recovery.

Created by NewSomberMan