Alert archive / Michigan / Tornado Warnings in 1986
Tornado Warning 11, NWS Grand Rapids, MI
NWS Grand Rapids, MI issued this tornado warning at Jul 15, 1986, 8:51 PM EDT for Allegan County, Kent County, Michigan. It was in force for 39 min. 4 reports came from inside the area while it was in force.
The area
The counties it named, with what was reported inside it.
The facts
- Issued
- Jul 15, 1986, 8:51 PM EDT (00:51 UTC)
- Expired
- Jul 15, 1986, 9:30 PM EDT
- In force
- 39 min
- Issued by
- NWS Grand Rapids, MI
- Area
- Whole counties
Counties Allegan County, MI, Kent County, MI
The radar
The WSR-88D network and its archive begin in 1991, so there is no radar volume for this alert.
What was reported inside it
| Time | Report | Where | Remark |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 15, 9:05 PM EDT | Thunderstorm Wind 0 | Kent, MI | |
| Jul 15, 9:08 PM EDT | Thunderstorm Wind 0 | Allegan, MI | |
| Jul 15, 9:08 PM EDT | Thunderstorm Wind 0 | Allegan, MI | |
| Jul 15, 9:32 PM EDT | Thunderstorm Wind 54 | Kent, MI |
NCEI Storm Data entries that began inside the alert's area while it was in force. Before 2003 the local storm report archive is thin, so this is the record of what happened rather than what was phoned in. Storm Data before 1996 records only tornadoes, thunderstorm wind and hail.
The nearest sounding before it
Detroit, MI (KFNT), launched 00:00Z, 0.9 hours before the alert went out and 188 km from the middle of its area. This is the routine balloon launch nearest before it, the air the forecaster had in hand, not a measurement taken for the alert.
- Mixed-layer CAPE
- 0 J/kg
- Mixed-layer CIN
- No buoyant parcel
- Mixed-layer LCL
- NaN m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 34 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- 20 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 123 m²/s²
- Significant tornado parameter
- 0.0
- Supercell composite
- 0.0
The text
As transmitted, in the capitals the NWS used until 2016.
000 TTAA00 KGRR 160051 TORGRR MIC081-005-160130- BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED/EBS ACTIVATION REQUESTED TORNADO WARNING NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAND RAPIDS MI 851 PM EDT TUE JUL 15 1986 THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS ISSUED A TORNADO WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL 930 PM EDT FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES OF SOUTHWEST LOWER MICHIGAN...KENT AND ALLEGAN AT 845 PM EDT..PUBLIC REPORTED POSSIBLE FUNNEL CLOUDS IN WALKER AND GRAND RAPIDS. THESE FUNNEL CLOUDS WERE MOVING TO THE SOUTHEAST AT 40 MPH. PERSONS IN ALLEGAN AND KENT COUNTIES SHOULD TAKE COVER IMMEDIATELY. IF YOU ARE IN THE PATH OF THIS TORNADO..GO TO A BASEMENT SHELTER IF AVAILABLE. OTHERWISE GO TO A CENTRAL INTERIOR ROOM ON THE LOWEST FLOOR. DO NOT STAY IN A CAR OR MOBILE HOME..FIND A STURDY SHELTER OR LIE FLAT IN A DITCH OR RAVINE. MJK
What forecasters said that day
The local office's own words before this tornado warning went out, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.
In the hours before
Special weather statement, Jul 15, 6:54 PM EDT, 1 hour 57 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MUSKEGON MI 654 PM EDT TUE JUL 15 1986 ...VERY STRONG THUNDERSTORMS CROSSING CENTRAL LAKE MICHIGAN... A SPECIAL MARINE WARNING CONTINUES IN EFFECT UNTIL 9 PM EDT FOR THE WEST MICHIGAN SHORELINE FROM LUDINGTON TO ST. JOSEPH. AT 640PM EDT VERY STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING ACROSS CENTRAL LAKE MICHIGAN WITH SOME REACHING WITHIN 25 MILES WEST OF PENTWATER TO 35 MILES WEST OF MANISTEE. THEY SHOULD REACH THE LUDINGTON TO PENTWATER AREA SHORTLY AFTER 7PM EDT. A SECOND BAND OF VERY STRONG THUNDERSTORMS OVER WEST CENTRAL LAKE MICHIGAN SHOULD REACH THE SHORELINE FROM MUSKEGON TO LUDINGTON BY ABOUT 7 30 PM EDT. MOVEMENT HAS BEEN TO THE EAST cSOUTHEAST AT 45 MILES AN HOUR. BOATING INTERESTS IN THE CENTRAL AND SOUTH SHORELINE AREAS SHOULD TAKE IMMEDIATE SAFETY PRECAUTIONS OR SEEK SAFE HARBOR. FLZ
The office that day
Everything else NWS Grand Rapids, MI issued on the same UTC day.
| Issued | Product | Office | Counties | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 15, 8:42 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | GRR | Kent, Ottawa | 48 min |
| Jul 15, 9:17 PM EDT | Tornado Warning | GRR | Barry, Ionia | 58 min |
| Jul 15, 9:49 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | GRR | Calhoun, Eaton | 56 min |
| Jul 15, 10:00 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | GRR | Clinton, Ingham | 60 min |
Nearby
Tornado Warnings in Michigan, 1986Every tornado warning in 1986Tornadoes in 1986
Sources
The product and its follow-ups from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service and Storm Prediction Center text; verification from NCEI's Storm Data; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive.