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Posted on Fri, Jul 23, 2010 : 5:44 p.m.

Severe thunderstorm, flash flood warnings issued for Ann Arbor area

By Cindy Heflin

The National Weather Service has issued separate severe thunderstorm warnings for both northern and southern Washtenaw County until 7 p.m.

The Weather Service has also issued a flash flood warning for all of Washtenaw County and southern Livingston County until midnight.

At 5:39 p.m. National Weather Service Doppler radar indicated a severe thunderstorm capable of producing damaging winds in excess of 60 mph. This storm was located 5 miles northwest of Chelsea and moving northeast at 25 mph.

That warning includes southern Livingston County and affects areas surrounding Ann Arbor, Dexter, Chelsea, Whitmore Lake... Salem, Pinckney, Hamburg, and Gregory.

The Weather Wervice said the storm would be near Pinckney around 6:05 p.m., Whitmore Lake around 6:20 p.m. and Brighton and Island Lake State Recreation Area around 6:25 p.m.

The warning for southern Washtenaw County said National Weather Service Doppler radar indicated a severe thunderstorm capable of producing quarter size hail and damaging winds in excess of 60 mph near Dexter at 6:08 p.m. This storm was moving east at 35 mph.

The Weather Service said the storm would be near Saline around 6:20 p.m., Ann Arbor around 6:25 p.m., Pittsfield Township around 6:30 p.m., Ypsilanti around 6:35 p.m. and Willis around 6:45 p.m.

The Weather service said people in and near the warning areas should move to an interior room on the lowest floor of their home or business.

The weather service said runoff from heavy rainfall of 2 inches or more per hour could produce flash flooding in Washtenaw and southern Livingston counties.

Areas that could experience flooding include Ann Arbor, Brighton, Chelsea, Dexter, Manchester, Pinckney, Saline, Ypsilanti, Dixboro, Gregory, Hamburg, Salem ,South Lyon, Whitmore Lake and Willis.

The weather service said the rains will cause flooding of small creeks and streams, urban areas, highways, streets and underpasses and low-lying spots.

Motorists are warned not to drive their vehicles into areas where the water covers the roadway. The water depth may be too great to allow your car to cross safely.

Comments

81wolverine

Fri, Jul 23, 2010 : 6:20 p.m.

I was expecting the flood warning. With all this heavy rain today and probably more on the way judging by the radar, there may be a lot of flooded roads and low areas. I'd say we had 60 mph gusts easily. Fortunately, no hail at our place. But, the Art Fair is basically punked this evening. That's too bad for the artists and other people expecting normal crowds.

David Cahill

Fri, Jul 23, 2010 : 6:06 p.m.

The tornado warning no longer shows up on weather.com.

yohan

Fri, Jul 23, 2010 : 5:42 p.m.

The warning sirens just sounded in Ann Arbor even though Ann Arbor IS NOT included in the warning area (see above), Another "inadvertent" siren alert? Does anyone in the police / dispatch area know how to read?

M.

Fri, Jul 23, 2010 : 5:34 p.m.

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN DETROIT/PONTIAC HAS ISSUED A * TORNADO WARNING FOR... NORTHERN MONROE COUNTY IN SOUTHEAST MICHIGAN... SOUTHEASTERN WASHTENAW COUNTY IN SOUTHEAST MICHIGAN... SOUTHWESTERN WAYNE COUNTY IN SOUTHEAST MICHIGAN... * UNTIL 730 PM EDT * AT 624 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING A TORNADO. THIS DANGEROUS STORM WAS LOCATED NEAR SALINE...AND MOVING EAST AT 35 MPH. * THIS DANGEROUS STORM WILL BE NEAR... OAKVILLE AND WHITTAKER AROUND 635 PM EDT. SUMPTER TOWNSHIP AROUND 640 PM EDT. SCOFIELD AND MAYBEE AROUND 645 PM EDT. CARLETON AND WALTZ AROUND 650 PM EDT. NEWPORT AND SOUTH ROCKWOOD AROUND 655 PM EDT. ESTRAL BEACH AND STONY POINT AROUND 700 PM EDT.

Tom Joad

Fri, Jul 23, 2010 : 5:23 p.m.

I'm monitoring the radar...we're entering the thick of it