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Mount Clemens, New Baltimore, MI Tornado, May 1964

Posted February 2nd, 2009 by Stu Beitler

TORNADO SWEEPS ACROSS MICHIGAN KILLING 11 PEOPLE.

Mount Clemens, Mich. (AP) -- Eleven persons were killed and more than 100 injured late Friday when a tornado that roared like a giant vacuum cleaner swept across southeastern Michigan.
Gov. GEORGE W. ROMNEY immediately left the Republican State Convention at Grand Rapids on the other side of the state to go to the disaster area.
Macomb County Sheriff LESTER A. ALMSTADT, who gave the death toll, said the twister smashed area was about two miles long and three-quarters of a mile wide.
"There is very heavy destruction," he added.
ALMSTADT said the search for bodies had been discontinued until Satruday morning.
The tornado appeared to have hit with the most force in Chesterfield Township, a residential area that lies between the southeastern Michigan cities of Mount Clemens and New Baltimore. All the dead were believed to have lived in the township.
ALMSTADT said the devastated area looked from the air as if a giant had stamped on it again and again.
Macomb County's civil defense director, CLEM W. SKIBA, said, "for a rough guess there are at least 200 homes that were pretty thoroughly demolished," SKIBA estimated at least 300 other homes were damaged but not destroyed.
SKIBA said he saw the tornado as it swept down on the area. He said "it bounced around, up and down, moving west to east."
Gov. ROMNEY left Grand Rapids by plane with three of his aides for Selfridge Air Force Base near Mount Clemens.
The base is just off Lake St. Clair, north of here. A housing area on the edge of the base suffered heavy damage. The base is about 20 miles from populous Detroit which was not hit by the twister although the metropolitan area was swept by fierce rain and winds.
Only two of the dead were identified immediately. They were MRS. BARBARA FORTON, 29, and SUSAN WESTFALL, 7, both of Chesterfield Township.
MRS. FORTON was identified by her husband, WAYNE, 33, who said the twister demolished his home and injured four small children, though none seriously.
FORTON, a truck driver, was not at home when the tornado struck.
"I was driving home," he said. "Then I saw the destruction. I ran to my house and it wasn't there anymore.

LIST OF VICTIMS.
Mount Clemens (AP) -- Here is a list of identified dead in the tornado which struck southeastern Michigan Friday night:
MRS. CLARENCE SANCRANT.
Her daughter, LOUISE, 8 years old.
Her son, DAVID, 4 months old.
Her daughter, TINA MARIA, 20 months old.
MRS. DONNA MAE SOLOC, 24, of New Baltimore.
Her daughter, WENDY LOU, 6 months old.
ANTHONY LESHER, 40.
SUSAN WESTFALL, 7, of New Baltimore.
MRS. BARBARA FORTON, 28, of New Baltimore

Daily Cpaital News Jefferson City Missouri 1964-05-09
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Researched and Transcribed by Stu Beitler. Thank you, Stu!

Chesterfield Tornado

On May 9th, 2009 Anonymous (not verified) says:

I survived this tornado. It was a monster. The majority of the hit was between 21 mile road and just shy of New Baltomore. I lived at 21 mile and Jefferson where the funnel first set down.

Photos?

On May 13th, 2009 Stu Beitler says:

Thanks for your comment. If you have any pictures or photos of this tornado and damage created, if you email them to me I will add them to this article.
Thanks again
Stu

__________________

Researched and Transcribed by Stu Beitler. Thank you, Stu!

New Baltimore tornado, 1964

On June 3rd, 2009 Mary Beth Dalton (not verified) says:

Stu,

I was surprised to stumble across this article on the 1964 tornado that struck New Baltimore. I remember my mother's paternal aunt and uncle were caught in its path, along with their spouses, but I would never have remembered the year. Aunt Collette was standing in front of a full-length mirror when it exploded - she sparkled for a couple of years until all the glass worked its way out to the surface of her skin. Aunt Marion needed skin grafts to repair all the damage she suffered. Thank you so much for sharing this article!

Mary Beth

thank you

On June 9th, 2009 Stu Beitler says:

Mary Beth
you are very very welcome. Thank you so much for replying.
Stu

__________________

Researched and Transcribed by Stu Beitler. Thank you, Stu!

1964 Macomb Tornado

On August 20th, 2009 Bill (not verified) says:

Stu,
I stumbled upon your note and I'm VERY interested in any photos from this tornado. I was in the tornado and I have no photos which I can pass on to my kids/grandkids. I lived on Meldrum by the Salt Creek Marina south of 23 mile and less than 1 block in from Anchor Bay. I just got home from Tennis practice and laid down for a nap before dinner. Our neighbor watched the tornado with his binnaculors and was running up and down the street yelling for peopl to get out of thier houses. The water table is too high so most people did not have basements. The only place for us to go was a field behind our house. My mother, father and brother were home at the time. They ran out of the house and returned for me when they realized thwey forgot me. We JUST made it to the field in time. We laid down and HELD on to the weeds so we would not be blown away. My mother's legs blew up so my brother (just home from the NAVY laid on her to keep her down. I lifted my head to look behind me and I was hit in the back of the head by something. God was with us that day, there were splinters in the ground all around us. After the tornado we looked around; house gone along with everyrthing we owned. Dad's car flattend by the house chimmney. Brother's car (59 ford) looked like someone took a scatter gun to destroy it. My Sister's car (also 59 Ford) was parked next to my brother's car. It sustaind no damage. We had injuries. We managed to get my sister's car out and made our way to Mt Clemens General hospital. we had to drive throgh Capart Air force housing area to avoid downed lines. When we got to the hospital they would not believe us. they tought we were in an accident. When the abulances started ariving they took us seriously. Total injuries; mother had broken leg and blood infection, Brother had a couple of small holes in his upper chest that were not serious and I had a concussion. thank God for the Red Cross that helped us through the ordeal and survive. My parents rebuilt and I graduated from Anchor Bay in 1966. Please send me any pictures you may accumulate so I can pass on this history.

I was there!

On February 10th, 2010 Jim Huber (not verified) says:

I was 4 years old and staying with my grandparents who lived in Chesterfield Shores.
I was scared to death, and I remember my grandmother pushing me under
the bed while she laid on the floor next to me and prayed. Wow!

I also remember the damage, especially in the Lottivue subdivsion just one
mile south of us.

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