GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — The National Weather Service (NWS) has confirmed that an EF-1 tornado touched down in Comstock Park around 8:15 p.m. Thursday, causing large swaths of damage across the area.
NWS officials say the tornado hit an estimated windspeed of 110 mph and traveled about 8.7 miles. The tornado had an estimated width of 100 yards.
"A tornado began east of Peach Ridge Avenue and north of 6 Mile Road and moved east-northeast for almost nine miles, ending just west of Rockford High School," the NWS said in a storm report.
The winds tore roofs from homes, downed trees and powerlines, and shut down roads and freeways.
The storms also contributed to five deaths across Kent, Ingham and Eaton counties.
More information on their findings is expected to be released Friday afternoon.
Along with the area in Kent County, NWS officials are also surveying a location in northeast Ingham County.
NWS officials are examining EF-scale ratings and dimensions of the damage path to determine whether or not a tornado occurred.
Officials said that the Ingham County surveys will take longer to complete and preliminary details may not be available until Friday afternoon.
While surveying the damage around Ingham County, the NWS says they found damage consistent with at least an EF-1 in Livingston County. That report came from the Detroit NWS office.
These are preliminary assessments of the damage and don't confirm tornado activity. Final assessments will be announced later Friday or on Saturday.
The surveying of the damage may take some time and NWS will provide information from the field as it becomes available.
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