Historic F-5 Tornado Left Lasting Scars on Genesee County

It was 72 years ago this month that one of the most devastating weather events in Michigan history injured or killed close to 1,000, and continues to affect the lives of thousands right here in Mid-Michigan.

For witnesses and survivors, it doesn't seem like this cataclysmic event took place more than half a century ago. It feels like yesterday, as one survivor says. When storm sirens go off today, it takes them right back to that horrific day.

The Day the Sky Turned Dark

It was June 8th of 1953 when a massive twister touched down around 8:30pm. Though the Enhanced Fujita Scale wasn’t in use then, the storm is classified as an F-5.

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The funnel stretched over eight football fields wide and clocked in speeds measuring in at more than an ungodly 261 miles per hour according to NOAA, or the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

Unthinkable Destruction Across Coldwater Road

Ranging from 5-months-old to 80 years-old, this storm killed 116 people and injured another 844. Tragically, 113 of the fatalities were concentrated in a straight four-mile stretch along Coldwater Road between Dort Highway and Clio Road.

READ MORE: Genesee County's Most Devastating Tornado

Scientists and meteorologists have recorded that this monster storm, with a maximum width of 833 yards, was on the ground for a painstaking 27 miles. Though it traveled at just 35 mph, its 261 mph winds gave this tornado the chance to do incredible damage. It was one of eight tornadoes to slam Michigan that night.

Why This Storm Still Matters Today

All these years later, survivors, witnesses and responders are looking back at that day. They are telling their stories from their first-hand point-of-view. Michigan Storm Chasers released a video this week with the unbelievable stories of those who lived through the historic Beecher tornado. It's a remarkable look back at a day that scarred Genesee County and will forever be a part of Mid-Michigan History.