8/14/23 - Tornado Hits City North Of Lansing

An EF-1 tornado touched down in the city of Perry Friday night. Many were without power and it was a busy weekend of cleanup.

PERRY — A tornado touched down in the town of Perry, just north of Lansing, Friday evening.

The high winds did some damage to homes and businesses and brought down trees and power lines which left many without power.

The EF-1 tornado was on the ground for 3 miles and had a maximum path width of about 430 yards while it crossed the city.  

The National Weather Service says the tornado was on the ground from about 2.5 miles west of Perry and then intensified as it entered the city.

Perry Mayor Sue Hammond said Saturday morning that there were no reported injuries. Most of the damage was concentrated in the north end of Main Street.  The city declared a state of emergency Friday night after the storm passed.   A veterans memorial pavilion in Veterans Memorial Park  was totaled and would be demolished for safety reasons.

Residents said they didn't hear a tornado siren at any point in the night, and Hammond confirmed the siren didn't activate because the tornado destroyed it as it touched down.

Tree cleanup companies were busy throughout town. Debris on town roads were cleaned up by city services, but trees and branches on private property are the responsibility of property owners, Hammond said.