Devastating Tornado Destroys Parts of Michigan 12 Years Ago

12 years ago this month, a brutal tornado tore through Washtenaw County, destroying everything in its path.

The topic may still be sensitive for those living in Genesee County, as an EF2 tornado ripped through Grand Blanc on February 28, 2024. While that tornado caused a lot of damage, it was nothing compared to the powerful tornado that devastated parts of Michigan on March 15, 2012.

See Also: See Storm Damage After Tornado Touches Down in Grand Blanc

The tornado tore through the city of Dexter, covering approximately 7 1/2 miles over roughly 35 minutes. It toppled trees, brought down power lines, and resulted in the destruction of more than 100 homes.

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Nicole Myint was playing disc golf in Dexter, Michigan when all of a sudden, it went from sunshine to an extremely dark sky. She had no shelter to hide in aside from two small bathrooms.

Nicole Mynit:

Walking to seek shelter a car exiting turned back around and said please get in we just saw the Tornado. Great people took us to the lot where we had limited shelter and area to go to be safe.

She shared an incredible video of the tornado as it was forming.

According to the National Weather Service, an EF-3 tornado touched down near Dexter, MI with maximum wind speeds of 135-140 mph.

It's amazing to think that even with all that destruction, no one was killed.

I remember that day like it was yesterday. Our emergency alert system was sending out alerts nonstop. We were trying to follow the storm and the destruction it was causing and pass it on to our listeners.