During the mid-afternoon hours of May 20, 2022, an unusually intense and destructive tornado tracked through portions of Antrim and Otsego counties in Michigan, United States, directly impacting the city of Gaylord. The tornado killed two people, injured 44 others, and inflicted $50.175 million (2022 USD) in damages, becoming the first EF3 tornado to occur in Michigan in over a decade, and the first tornado to strike Gaylord since reliable records began in 1950. The tornado damaged 210 homes and 30 businesses along its path, including a Hobby Lobby, Goodwill, Maurices, and Jimmy John's. Of the 210 homes impacted, 33 were completely destroyed, and the tornado knocked out power for around 6,100 customers. A mobile home community was devastated, where the two fatalities occurred. The tornado was the deadliest to occur in Michigan since May 13, 1980, when an F3 tornado impacted the city of Kalamazoo.
The tornado first touched down in Antrim County near Alba, Michigan, inflicting minor damage to trees and homes before crossing Old Alba Road into Otsego County, where it damaged several homes at EF1 intensity. The tornado inflicted scattered damage to trees and structures before intensifying as it entered the Nottingham Forest mobile home community, completely demolishing several mobile homes at low-end EF3 strength. In this area, two people were killed. The tornado continued into the business district of Gaylord, striking the Pine Ridge Square Shopping Center where several businesses, including a Hobby Lobby, Jimmy John's, and Maurices, were damaged or destroyed. The tornado weakened to EF2 intensity as it damaged several more businesses, with Performance Plus Quick Oil Change having all its exterior walls collapsed.
A Goodwill and Aldi were damaged, and numerous recreational vehicles at Northern Michigan RV were impacted, with one being tossed across a nearby highway. The tornado then crossed I-75 and began to enter more residential areas, where several homes sustained severe damage. The tornado reached its peak intensity along Berkshire Lane, where a home was nearly completely demolished at mid-range EF3 strength. The tornado then began a weakening trend, damaging several more residences and blowing a three-car garage off its foundation before entering more rural areas. The tornado damaged numerous trees at EF0EF1 intensity before dissipating northeast of Sparr after being on the ground for 22 minutes.
Meteorological synopsis
From May 1920, 2022, a trough moved through the northern Great Plains and upper midwest regions, creating a strong low-pressure system that tracked from the Great Plains into Ontario, Canada, which assisted in bringing atmospheric moisture into Michigan.
On the morning of May 20, the Storm Prediction Center outlined a slight risk for severe weather that covered the majority of the lower Michigan peninsula. Additionally, an area with a 5% chance for a tornado within 25 miles of a point was outlined for central and northern portions of the peninsula, as the cold front moved in from the Great Lakes and abundant wind shear was present. As the day progressed, the Storm Prediction Center shifted the slight risk for severe weather and the 5% risk for tornadoes within 25 miles of a point further north, encircling the northern portions of the lower Michigan peninsula as the strong cold front extending from southern Wisconsin to the lower Michigan peninsula tracked through the region, with sufficient atmospheric moisture, unusually strong wind shear, and atmospheric instability being present.
Thunderstorms first began to develop west of Lake Michigan on the morning of May 20, and strengthened while tracking northeastward as the day went on. The supercell that produced the Gaylord tornado developed during the afternoon, and produced strong winds, large hail, and eventually the tornado that tracked through Gaylord, which touched down at 3:35 p.m.
Tornado summary The tornado first touched down at 3:35 p.m. EDT in Antrim County around east of Alba, and just north of Olds Road and east of Alba Highway. The tornado began inflicting EF0 damage to trees and a mobile home as it tracked northeastward. The tornado turned sharper to the east as it crossed Patterson Road, where it snapped softwood trees and damaged homes at EF1 strength. The tornado tracked through Antrim County before crossing Old Alba Road as it entered Otsego County, tearing panels off the roof of a barn.
The tornado continued northeastward, inflicting EF1 damage to trees as it crossed Hayes Tower Road. The tornado crossed Millbocker Road before approaching and tracking across Shady Brook Lane, where several homes and trees suffered EF1 damage. The tornado damaged the roof of a barn along Van Tyle Road as it tracked northeast, intensifying as it crossed Nottingham Road West and entered the Nottingham Forest mobile home community in Gaylord. Several mobile homes were completely destroyed at low-end EF3 intensity, with the debris being blown away and two people being killed. The tornado continued into western portions of Gaylord, damaging trees and vehicles before crossing McVannel Road and damaging the Pine Ridge Square Shopping Center at EF3 intensity with estimated wind speeds of . The back wall of a Hobby Lobby collapsed, and the north-facing wall sustained significant damage. The Jimmy John's and Maurices locations near the Hobby Lobby suffered severe damage, with several exterior walls collapsing and portions of the roof being torn away while people were inside shopping. A cellphone tower at a nearby electric company building was bent in half by the tornado. The tornado tracked deeper into the Gaylord business district at EF2 intensity, crossing M-32 and impacting the Performance Plus Quick Oil Change building, resulting in the exterior walls collapsing, leaving only interior walls standing. The tornado then struck the Goodwill building, with the roof and front portions of the store collapsing after the tornado damaged parts of the exterior walls. The tornado then impacted the Aldi building along Winefred Road, damaging the back wall and snapping numerous trees outside the location. The tornado crossed Winefred Road, inflicting significant damage to buildings at the Brink Mini Storage location, with one being completely destroyed.
The tornado continued northeastward, crossing Ted Drive and Expressway Court before impacting the Northern Michigan RV location, where countless recreational vehicles were thrown and damaged, including one that was tossed across I-75. The tornado turned more to the east as it crossed I-75, moving into the central residential areas of Gaylord. The tornado crossed North Ohio Avenue and North Illinois Avenue, inflicting significant damage to numerous trees near the corner of Jenson Street. The tornado tracked across the Detroit and Mackinac Railway before significantly damaging homes along North Otsego Avenue at EF2 strength, with one residence being displaced off its foundation. The tornado then crossed North Court Avenue, with a home on the west side of the street having its detached garage completely demolished. Another home along the street had the entire roof ripped away. The tornado tracked just north of the East Mill Street/North Elm Avenue intersection before impacting a home along the south side of Berkshire Lane at EF3 intensity. The home's roof was entirely removed, and several exterior walls collapsed. The tornado crossed Berkshire Lane and reached peak intensity on the northern side of the street, where a home was nearly completely demolished from estimated wind speeds of , with only portions of the kitchen, hallway, and bathroom walls remaining. The garage was entirely destroyed, and debris were carried along the tornado's path. The tornado crossed Hayes Road before tracking over South Classic Drive, with a home on the east side of the street being shifted off its foundation. The tornado tracked across mostly forested areas before impacting a home along the west side of Goslow Street, with the deck and portions of the roof being removed. The home's three-car garage was completely swept off its foundation, with the debris being blown across the street.
The tornado continued through forested areas, inflicting EF1 damage to numerous trees as it crossed Kujawa Road. The tornado tracked just north of Sparr, continuing to damage trees at EF0 intensity before dissipating just northeast of Sparr and near Shade Creek at 3:57 p.m. The tornado reached a maximum width of in both Antrim and Otsego County, tracked for , and caused two fatalities and 44 injuries within Gaylord.
Aftermath
Damage
Along its track, the tornado damaged 210 homes, including 33 that were completely destroyed and 30 that sustained damage to 50% of their structure. The tornado damaged 30 businesses, with several being completely destroyed. Several homes and buildings sustained EF3 damage, making the tornado the first EF3 in Michigan since 2012. The Nottingham Forest mobile home community, which consisted of 75 homes, was partially demolished. Several units were lifted and turned over, with some being completely destroyed. A Hobby Lobby building had several well-constructed exterior walls destroyed, and portions of the roof were torn away. A Jimmy John's and Maurices nearby suffered similar destruction, with exterior walls being collapsed and segments of the roof being destroyed. The Performance Plus Quick Oil Change location was totaled, with the majority of the structure collapsing besides a few interior walls.
The Goodwill location in Gaylord was significantly damaged, with portions of the exterior walls being destroyed and the roof on the front half of the building collapsing. An Aldi location suffered extensive damage to the back exterior wall, and numerous trees on the property were snapped. Brink Mini Storage had numerous buildings sustain significant damage to their roofs and exterior walls, with at least one being completely demolished. At Northern Michigan RV, many recreational vehicles were thrown and damaged by the tornado, including one that was tossed across the nearby highway. The Alter-Start North auto shop had portions of the back wall destroyed and the entire roof torn off. A Little Caesar’s Pizza location suffered shattered windows, and countless trees were snapped and destroyed. Numerous vehicles were damaged and tossed by the tornado, and around 6,100 customers in Otsego County lost power.
In total, the tornado inflicted $50.175 million in damages, of which $175,000 occurred in Antrim County and $50 million occurred in Otsego County.
Recovery efforts In the hours following the tornado, search and rescue operations began, with first responders rescuing several individuals from the Nottingham Forest mobile home community while natural gas leaked into the surrounding air. Additionally, rescuers searched through the destroyed Home Depot. Those who were injured by the tornado were transported by ambulances to four different hospitals in the area.
The tornado occurred during an emergency personnel shift change, which resulted in twice as many first responders available at the scene. Gaylord City Police, Gaylord Department of Public Works, Michigan State Police, the city's volunteer fire department, and several other agencies responded to the tornado. A curfew was put in place shortly after the tornado, and all roads leading into Gaylord were closed off by police barricades.