Courtesy Photo Presque Isle resident Sarah Melching shows two large pieces of hail that fell on her property on Friday. The large hail, which was about the size of baseballs in some areas, caused widespread damage.

ALPENA — It was like living in a nightmare.

That is how JoAnne Muller described her experience in Gaylord on Friday, when a tornado decimated a swath of the city’s business district with her in the middle of it.

After causing widespread destruction in Gaylord, the storm tracked eastward, affecting other Northeast Michigan communities. While Posen and Presque Isle escaped any threat of tornadoes, both places were confronted with baseball-sized hail that caused extensive damage.

The tornado in Gaylord was measured an EF-3 from the damage it caused, which is extremely rare in Michigan. Two people were killed and dozens were injured.

Muller and her daughter Abby were uninjured during the storm, but had a front row seat to it, and the damage it caused.

Muller said her and her daughter traveled from their home in Rogers City to Gaylord Friday to get tattoos, have lunch and shop. After getting their tattoos done, they ate at Bob Evans when the storm began to brew. Weather warning alerts went off on cell phones warning of the nearing storm and telling them to take cover.

Within a few minutes, Muller and her daughter could hear and see the twister and were ushered to safety by the restaurant staff.

“It was about two or three minutes after our phones went off that the tornado was in the window, in the parking lot, and moving toward us and we could see the debris flying around,” Muller said. “We went into the cooler with employees until there was a pause. It was crazy. I was just happy my car was on all four tires when we came out.”

Muller said she was shocked to see her car in one piece and she and her daughter began to drive toward the M-32 business district. She said when she came to a stop, saw the damage, and police and fire responders, the reality and seriousness of the situation set in.

“We had no idea how bad the damage was until we pulled out onto the highway,” she said. “But when we looked left toward the shopping district and saw the buildings torn apart and cars overturned it hit us. It felt like time stood still and we were in a horror movie. After we saw the damage, that is when I realized how lucky we were.”

Muller decided to drive home, but encountered more severe weather in Indian River. A severe downpour forced her to pull into a business until it let up and allowed her to continue home, she said.

As the storm tracked east, Atlanta, Canada Creek Ranch, Metz, Posen, and Presque Isle were in the path of the supercell thunderstorm. None of those locations had a tornado but high winds and hail wreaked havoc.

Sarah Melching, Presque Isle County emergency management coordinator, lives in Presque Isle. She said she was well aware of what transpired in Gaylord and knew there was a chance of the storm impacting her community. When the weather alert came over her phone, Melching moved some outdoor items indoors.

When the storm hit, Melching and her family took cover in the basement.

“It hit fast and like a freight train,” Melching said. “I was in the basement and I thought it had to be a tornado. It sounded like a jet landed on my house.”

After the sky cleared, Melching said Presque Isle residents saw roof, siding, and window damage to their homes, cottages, garages, and sheds, as well as cars and boats.

Once the hail subsided, she went outdoors to see the large hail in her yard and damage the force of the storm caused.

Still, Melching said, things could have been worse.

“I was in shock. We have had hail before but nothing like this, “I just couldn’t believe the damage it did but it could have been a lot worse if we would have had the 70 or 80 mile per hour wind they predicted. Thank God we didn’t get what Gaylord had. We all feel really bad for the people and businesses there and very lucky for our community.”