1964 Chesterfield Township tornado

Weather event in Michigan, United States 1964 Chesterfield Township tornado Aerial of Chesterfield Township after 1964 tornado.jpg 300 Aerial photograph of tornado damage An aerial photograph of the Point Lakeview neighborhood in Chesterfield Township after the tornado. 6 minutes May 8, 1964, 4:59 p.m. EDT (UTC−04:00) May 8, 1964, 5:05 p.m. EDT (UTC−04:00) 207-260 mph km/h on F4 833 yd mi km 2 3.3 mi km 11–13 Fatality estimates: 11 - Per NCEI and U.S. Department of Commerce 13 - Per The Macomb Daily and Chesterfield Historical Society 224 1964 USD $2.5 million (1964 USD) $26.93 million (2026 USD) Macomb County, Michigan; primarily the community of Chesterfield Township Tornadoes of 1964 During the afternoon hours of May 8, 1964, a short lived but violent and deadly tornado moved through Chesterfield Township, located in Macomb County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The tornado was part of an outbreak sequence lasting from May 4 to May 8, which affected the Great Plains, Midwest, and Great Lake regions. The tornado claimed the lives of 11 to 13 people, and injured a further 224 over its 3.3 mile long path along the shore of Anchor Bay. The tornado damaged or destroyed over 200 homes were damaged by the tornado with 132 being destroyed. The tornado touched down in a housing area in southeastern Chesterfield Township, causing significant damage to several homes along Cotton Road and Sugarbush Road, before becoming violent and destroying homes in the Anchor Bay Harbor neighborhood as it moved along the Salt River. The tornado maintained intensity as it struck the neighborhood of Point Lakeview and the Lottie Schmidt subdivision, where it destroyed homes and threw vehicles before moving out over Anchor Bay. The tornado was later officially rated as F4 on the Fujita scale, and is often referred to as the Anchor Bay tornado.Voice Katelyn Larese The 2019-05-07 Memories of Anchor Bay tornado remain 55 years after deadly storm https://www.macombdaily.com/2019/05/07/memories-of-anchor-bay-tornado-remain-55-years-after-deadly-storm/ 2026-09-12 Macomb Daily en-US Meteorological synopsis left|thumb|A weather forecast map for May 8, 1964.|210x210px Forecast and Surface Conditions The forecast on May 8 called for showers and thunderstorms in the Ohio Valley, Great Lakes, and portions of the Great Plains regions. Temperatures in the Port Huron area were expected to reach up to 75°F (23.8°C). Winds were moving from the southwest at between 15 and 35 mph and were forecasted to shift more to the east by May 9.Forecast The Times Herald 1 May 8, 1964Weather Forecast for Tonight and Tomorrow The Monroe Evening News 22 May 8, 1964 A stationary front was in place over Wisconsin and northern Michigan, with a high pressure system over Florida.The Daily Weather Map https://library.oarcloud.noaa.gov/docs.lib/htdocs/rescue/dwm/1964/19640508.pdf United States Department of Commerce Event Narrative Several tornadoes touched down across the Great Plains and Midwest on May 8, primarily in the states of Iowa and Wisconsin.Storm Events Database https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/access/storm-events-database/search?d=N4IgpgbmB2AuAyBLAzrEAuA2iAKgewCdoBDAEzxAF0AaEAIzAHNFoARY2MDEARgE4AbABYAtAAYArOIAcIWjFLtO3fsPFSxs2nmg4AFinYBPDADNiAG2RhaDZmw5gA%252BigBqlxKQywCAVxsgxASIxACyYMjIxIxc6CAAymAWYADGnKToAAQAcjpgAHRy4NCKji7I7hae3n4BxGmIUDjEdBg8AL5AA 2026-09-04 www.ncei.noaa.gov Shortly after 4 pm EDT, the U.S. Weather Bureau in Detroit issued a tornado warning for areas including Pontiac and Chesterfield Township, which would remain in affect until 10 pm EDT.At Least 10 Persons Are Killed The Holland Sentinel 1 May 9, 1964Michigan Is Hard Hit By a Killing Tornado Portage Daily Register 1 May 9, 1964 The parent storm produced a short-lived tornado in Pontiac at 4:33 pm EDT. The tornado damaged 6 homes, tore a wall off a factory, and uprooted several trees.Storm Data Publication United States Department of Commerce 43 In total the Pontiac tornado caused $25 thousand (1964 USD) in damages and injured one person before lifting.Storm Events Database https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/access/storm-events-database/event-details/10040612 2026-09-04 www.ncei.noaa.gov The parent storm killed one person in Pontiac after their house burned down due to a lightning strike. Tornado Summary thumb|F4-level damage in the Anchor Bay Harbor neighborhood. Capehart Housing & Anchor Bay Harbor At 4:59 pm EDT, the tornado touched down in the Capehart housing area of Chesterfield Township near Cotton Road and Graham Drive, where the tornado demolished several homes as it rapidly intensified.Grazulis Thomas P. Significant Tornadoes: A chronology of events 449 The tornado then completely demolished a half-mile stretch of homes along Cotton Road and Sugarbush Road, where several people were injured and one person was killed.At Least 9 Dead, 165 Hurt in Macomb - Oakland Tornado The Times Herald 1 May 9, 1964Tornado Kills 9; Damage in Millions The Herald-Palladium 17 May 9, 1964 A red coat belonging to a resident here was picked up by the tornado and was later found more than 30 miles away in Sombra, Ontario.Draft 6-Point Plan For Aid To Tornado Victims The Times Herald 1 May 11, 1964 The tornado continued over open land before reaching F4 intensity as it struck the Anchor Bay Harbor neighborhood. Four people were killed when homes were completely destroyed with the debris being granulated down to the size of matchsticks.TORNADO KILLS 10 Detroit Free Press 1 May 9, 1964 Homes along Jefferson Avenue were swept clean off their foundations as vehicles and furniture were thrown significant distances and mangled into trees.Fireman Saw Tornado Strike Town The Holland Sentinel 10 May 9, 1964 One of these homes was of cement block construction, and was left as a "battered shell".Hundreds Return to Ruins of Their Homes Detroit Free Press 4 May 10, 1964 Large trees were uprooted and thrown considerable distances, and cabin cruiser boats along the lakeside that were anchored in canals were thrown far distances in the air, often landing on trees.Killer Tornado Lashes Michigan The Holland Sentinel 1 May 9, 1964 Point Lakeview & Lottie Schmidt subdivision left|thumb|Destroyed homes in the Lottie Schmidt subdivision. The tornado crossed a portion of Anchor Bay, before returning to land on a peninsula, striking the Point Lakeview neighborhood (Often referred to as Anchor Point or Anchor Bay).Tornado Path The Blade 11 May 10, 1964 The tornado maintained F4 intensity as homes were reduced to their foundations and vehicles were mangled.`I Flew In The Wake of Vicious Twister' Detroit Free Press 12 May 9, 1964 Several small boats on the Salt River were thrown out of the river, and a bicycle was found wrapped around a tree.Killer Tornado Lashes Southeast State Area The Grand Rapids Press 2 May 9, 1964 Two people were killed in the Point Lakeview neighborhood and least 10 homes were damaged or destroyed as the tornado continued east.Chesterfield Township Tornado Memorial Historical Marker https://www.hmdb.org/m.asp?m=217689 2026-09-04 www.hmdb.org enJoseph Gina 2014-05-08 50 years after the tornado disaster in Chesterfield Township https://www.macombdaily.com/2014/05/08/50-years-after-the-tornado-disaster-in-chesterfield-township/ 2026-09-04 Macomb Daily en-US The tornado then struck the Lottie Schmidt subdivision, where homes were further destroyed and a 50-foot cruiser was picked up and thrown a considerable distance. Six people were killed in the subdivision, four of them from one family on Schneider Road.Tornado Kills 10 In Michigan Traverse City Record-Eagle 1 May 9, 1964 The tornado then rapidly weakened before lifting shortly after moving out over Anchor Bay. The tornado tracked for an estimated 3.3 miles (5.3 kilometers). Aftermath collapse List of fatalities directly attributed to the tornado James Anthony Rivard, 79 yrs (Capehart Housing) Barbra Forten, 29 yrs (Anchor Bay Harbor) Wendy Lou Soloc, 11 mos (Anchor Bay Harbor) Susan Ann Westfall, 7 yrs (Anchor Bay Harbor) Anthony A. Lesher, 10 yrs (Point Lakeview) Louis Winter, 92 yrs (Point Lakeview) Gladys Sparwasser, 68 yrs (Lottie Schmidt subdivision) Joseph Giroux, 72 yrs (Lottie Schmidt subdivision) Wanda Jo Sancrant, 25 yrs (Lottie Schmidt subdivision) Nanette Sancrant, 8 yrs (Lottie Schmidt subdivision) Tina Marie Sancrant, 20 mos (Lottie Schmidt subdivision) David Joseph Sancrant, 4 mos (Lottie Schmidt subdivision) The tornado completely destroyed 132 homes, with an additional 69 with major damage, and 167 with minor damage. 224-244 people were injured with 88 of them being hospitalized. The tornado claimed the lives of 11 to 13 peopleOfficial data from the National Centers for Environmental Information and National Weather Service list a death toll of 11 people, while the Chesterfield Historical Society and The Macomb Daily list a death toll of 13, 6 of which were children. Despite a tornado warning be issued 20 minutes prior to the tornado, due to the high water table in the Chesterfield Township area, almost all of the homes destroyed lacked basements, which prevented many residents from being able to seek substantial shelter. left|thumb|U.S. Air Force personnel in Chesterfield Township less than an hour after the tornado assisting rescuers. Rescue workers rushed into Chesterfield Township, bringing tracking dogs to search the ruins of homes to search for survivors and bodies.Larese Katelyn 2019-05-07 Memories of Anchor Bay tornado remain 55 years after deadly storm https://www.macombdaily.com/2019/05/07/memories-of-anchor-bay-tornado-remain-55-years-after-deadly-storm/ 2026-09-05 Macomb Daily en-US Governor George W. Romney arrived in Chesterfield Township later that day, and declared the region a disaster zone, describing the disaster as "horrible". Romney also declared that no one was to return to the disaster area until 9 am EDT on May 9.Tornado Rips Big Path Of Death, Destruction The Times Herald 2 May 9, 1964 President Lyndon Johnson expressed "great concern" over the loss of life and property due to the tornado.Tornado Cleanup Sorrowful Task The Saginaw News 1 May 9, 1964 By 7 am on May 9, over 300 members of the National Guard moved into the disaster area, and volunteers had taken in all of the homeless. By 9 am EDT, police barricades had been set up, and Romney ordered all outsiders were to be kept away from the disaster area to prevent looting. Despite this, one man reported that his diamond ring that was worth $1,500 (1964 USD) had been stolen. The American Red Cross provided $31,313 (1964 USD) of aid within the month of May for the disaster victims. With an additional $16,754 (1964 USD) of aid approved by May 30.Red Cross OKs Extra Aid for Tornado Area Jackson Citizen Patriot 4 May 30, 1964 A memorial was placed near Sugarbush road by the Chesterfield Historical Society, which lists the names of all 13 fatalities. See Also List of Michigan tornadoes Tornadoes of 1964 2026 Union City tornado – A similarly short-tracked but violent and deadly tornado that struck the state of Michigan in 2026 References Notes note Citations Category:Tornadoes in Michigan Category:F4, EF4 and IF4 tornadoes Category:Macomb County, Michigan Category:1964 in Michigan Category:Tornadoes of 1964 Category:May 1964 in the United States