The Great Lakes States Were Thought To Be "Climate-Proof", But Michigan's Tornado And Flood Trend Proves Otherwise [View all]

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In March, communities across nine counties were hit by two rounds of devastating tornadoes that killed four people, including a 12-year-old boy, in what was the earliest EF-3 tornado to hit the state in documented history. The state averages 15 tornadoes a year but last year saw 33. This year, it’s already experienced 15. The tornado outbreaks follow some of the worst flooding the state has seen in decades. Last month, several Michigan dams and levees were at risk of failure, and an evacuation order was issued in Cheboygan in the north of the state.

Florida, California and the mountain west are often held up as US regions worst affected by climate change now and into the future. But recent events suggest parts of the Great Lakes, sometimes referred to as being “climate proof”, are suffering too.

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Michigan’s newfound susceptibility to extreme weather is down to a few factors, experts say, noting that in the spring, the state often finds itself caught in the transition boundary of the jet stream between warm, moist air from the south and cold, dry air from Canada. This spring, it’s been unusually active. “When you have warm, moist air that clashes with dry air, you get a very sharp boundary in temperatures that will cause severe weather. And that’s what we’ve seen,” says Lisa DeChano-Cook, a professor at Western Michigan University’s school of environment, geography and sustainability.

“We also have a strong temperature contrast between the Great Lakes water temperatures and the Gulf moisture. More precipitation can come down, and we can have more extreme outcomes. That’s some level of what we saw with the Edenville dam.”Last year, a freezing rain storm destroyed millions of acres of trees in northern parts of Michigan’s lower peninsula, rendering hundreds of miles of electricity and utility infrastructure useless and cutting power for weeks to thousands of people.

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https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/may/25/michigan-climate-crisis