Alert archive / Michigan / Tornado Warnings in 1986

Tornado Warning 14, NWS Grand Rapids, MI

September 10, 1986Calhoun County, Eaton County, Michigan

NWS Grand Rapids, MI issued this tornado warning at Sep 10, 1986, 6:11 PM EDT for Calhoun County, Eaton County, Michigan. It was in force for 19 min.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued
Sep 10, 1986, 6:11 PM EDT (22:11 UTC)
Expired
Sep 10, 1986, 6:30 PM EDT
In force
19 min
Issued by
NWS Grand Rapids, MI
Area
Whole counties

Counties Calhoun County, MI, Eaton County, MI

The radar

The WSR-88D network and its archive begin in 1991, so there is no radar volume for this alert.

The nearest sounding before it

Detroit, MI (KFNT), launched 12:00Z, 10.2 hours before the alert went out and 127 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.

Skew-T log-pSkew-T log-p diagram, Detroit, MI at 12:00Z on 1986-09-10Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 0 joules per kilogram.LCL10008507005003002001001 km2 km3 km6 km9 km12 km15 km-30°-20°-10°0°10°20°30°40°
Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.
HodographHodograph, Detroit, MI at 12:00Z on 1986-09-10The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 399 square meters per square second.193958Sfc1 km3 km6 km9 kmRMLM
The wind turning with height, colored by layer: ground to 1 km, 1 to 3 km, 3 to 6 km, 6 to 10 km.
Mixed-layer CAPE
0 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
No buoyant parcel
Mixed-layer LCL
1379 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
46 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
399 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
381 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
-0.0

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

As transmitted, in the capitals the NWS used until 2016.

000 
TTAA00 KLAN 102211
TORLAN
MIC045-025-102245-

BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED/EBS ACTIVATION REQUESTED 
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LANSING MI
611 PM EDT WED SEP 10 1986

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS ISSUED A TORNADO WARNING 
EFFECTIVE UNTIL 645 PM EDT FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES OF

SOUTH CENTRAL LOWER MICHIGAN...EATON AND CALHOUN


AT 603 PM EDT A TORNADO WAS REPORTED BY A SPOTTER AT BEDFORD IN
NORTHERN CALHOUN COUNTY.  BUILDINGS WERE DAMAGED FROM THIS STORM.
THE STORM WAS MOVING EAST AT 35 MPH. PEOPLE IN BEDFORD AND OLIVET
ARE NEAR THE PATH OF THIS STORM AND SHOULD BE PREPARED TO SEEK
SHELTER IF THREATENING CONDITIONS ARE SIGHTED.

IF YOU ARE IN THE PATH OF THIS STORM...GO TO A BASEMENT SHELTER IF
AVAILABLE OR GO TO A CENTRAL INTERIOR ROOM ON THE LOWEST FLOOR. DO
NOT STAY IN A CAR OR MOBILE HOME...FIND A REINFORCED SHELTER. A DITCH
...RAVINE OR OTHER LOW AREA WILL ALSO OFFER SHELTER.  STAY AS LOW AS
POSSIBLE AND COVER YOUR HEAD TO AVOID INJURY FROM FLYING DEBRIS.

 BUNTING

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, Sep 10, 12:57 PM EDT, 5 hours 14 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAND RAPIDS MI
1255 PM EDT WED SEP 10 1986

...SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUE OVER SOUTHWEST LOWER MICHIGAN
   MINOR FLOODING CONTINUES TO BE A POSSIBLITY THIS AFTERNOON...

AT 1245 EDT RADAR INDICATED AN AREA OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS OVER
PORTIONS OF SOUTHWEST AND WEST CENTRAL LOWER MICHIGAN. THE AREA ALSO
EXTENDS WEST OVER LAKE MICHIGAN INTO PORTIONS OF WISCONSIN.
THE AREA OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WAS MOVING TO THE EAST NORTHEAST
AT 20 MILES PER HOUR AND WILL CONTINUE TO PRODUCE HEAVY RAIN..DANGEROUS
LIGHTNING AND GUSTY WINDS AS THEY MOVE THROUGH THE AREA THIS AFTERNOON.

THE THUNDERSTORMS HAVE DUMPED 1.28 INCHES OF RAIN SINCE 8 AM EDT THIS
MORNING AT THE KENT COUNTY AIRPORT IN GRAND RAPIDS. THE TOTAL FOR THE
AIRPORT SINCE IT STARTED YESTERDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH 1245 PM EDT TODAY
IS 1.99 INCHES. MOST OTHER AREAS IN SOUTHWEST MICHIGAN, PARTICULARLY
OTTAWA..KENT AND IONIA COUNTIES, HAVE RECEIVED WELL OVER ONE AND A HALF
INCHES OF PRECIPITATION TODAY. A LOCAL T.V. STATION IN GRAND RAPIDS
REPORTED THREE INCHES OF RAIN SINCE IT BEGAN YESTERDAY, 2.75 INCHES OF
THAT HAS FELL SINCE MIDNIGHT..WITH ONE INCH FALLING IN THE LAST HOURS
TIME.

PERSONS IN LOW LAND AREAS SHOULD BE ON THE ALERT FOR POSSIBLE MINOR
FLOODING AND PERSONS DRIVING SHOULD WATCH FOR STREET FLOODING,
ESPECIALLY UNDER OVERPASSES AND SLICK ROADS THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT.

THE SHOWERS AND THUNDERS>TORMS WILL CONTINUE THIS AFTERNOON..TONIGHT
AND MOST OF THURSDAY AS A LOW PRESSURE AREA MOVES TOWARD THE GREAT
LAKES OUT OF THE NORTHERN PLAINS STATES.

KERSEY
Special weather statement, Sep 10, 1:25 PM EDT, 4 hours 46 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LANSING MI
115 PM EDT WED SEP 10 1986

...THUNDERSTORMS...WITH HEAVY RAIN...OVER CENTRAL LOWER MICHIGAN...

AT 110 PM EDT A LARGE AREA OF RAIN AND THUNDERSTORMS COVERED CENTRAL
LOWER MICHIGAN NORTH OF A LINE FROM MUSKEGON TO LANSING TO THE THUMB
AREA. RADAR SHOWED THE HEAVIEST RAIN OVER SOUTHERN GRATIOT AND NORTHERN
CLINTON COUNTIES WHERE THUNDERSTORMS WITH HEAVY RAIN HAVE MOVED ACROSS
REPEATEDLY.

THIS CONTINUOUS BARRAGE OF HEAVY RAIN WILL LEAD TO FLOODING IN LOW
AREAS OF GRATIOT AND NORTHERN CLINTON COUNTY THIS AFTERNOON AND
TONIGHT.

A WARM FRONT EXTENDED FROM WEST TO EAST ACROSS CENTRAL LOWER MICHIGAN
AND AT MIDDAY EXTENDED ACROSS THE LANSING AREA.  THE TEMPERATURE
AT THE LANSING CAPITAL CITY AIRPORT WAS 60 DEGREES WHILE THE JACKSON
AIRPORT...35 MILES SOUTH REPORTED 75 DEGREES.  THE WARM FRONT WILL
MOVE SLOWLY NORTHWARD THIS AFTERNOON PUSHING WARMER AIR NORTHWARD.
THE NORTHWARND PUSH OF WARM AIR WILL HELP TO DEVELOP ADDITIONAL
THUNDERSTORMS AND POSSIBLE HEAVY RAIN OVER SOUTH CENTRAL LOWER
MICHIGAN BY LATE AFTERNOON.
FORTUNE
Special weather statement, Sep 10, 5:48 PM EDT, 23 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAND RAPIDS MI
550 PM EDT WED SEP 10 1986

...MINOR FLOODING CONTINUES TO BE A POSSIBLITY THIS AFTERNOON
IN SOUTHWEST LOWER MICHIGAN AS SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUE...

AT 540 PM EDT RADAR INDICATED A FEW INTENSE THUNDERSTORMS ONE LOCATED
IN CALHOUN COUNTY JUST NORTH OF BATTLE CREEK ANOTHER LOCATED JUST OFF-
SHORE OF SOUTHHAVEN MICHIGAN IN VAN BUREN COUNTY AND ANOTHER IN THE
ALLEGAN COUNTY AREA OF SAUGATUCK. STILL ANOTHER STRONG CELL IS JUST
TO THE NORTH OF GRAND RAPIDS. THESE STORMS CAN PRODUCE HEAVY RAIN,
STRONG GUSTY WINDS..DANGEROUS LIGHTNING AND SOME SMALL HAIL. SOME STREET
FLOODING IS OCCURING IN MANY AREAS OF SOUTHWEST LOWER MICHGAN AND WILL
CONTINUE TO DO SO AS THESE STORMS CONTINUE TONIGHT. ALSO LOW LYING AREAS
AND AND SMALL STREAMS MAY FLOOD DURING THE EVENING AND NIGHTTIME HOURS.

PERSONS IN LOW LAND AREAS SHOULD BE ON THE ALERT FOR POSSIBLE MINOR
FLOODING AND PERSONS DRIVING SHOULD WATCH FOR STREET FLOODING,
ESPECIALLY UNDER OVERPASSES AND SLICK ROADS THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT.
PERSONS SHOULD NOT DRIVE VEHICLES INTO AREAS WHERE THE WATER COVERS THE
ROADWAY. THE WATER DEPTH MAY BE TOO GREAT AND THE CAR MAY STVALL.

THE SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE TONIGHT
AND MOST OF THURSDAY AS A LOW PRESSURE AREA MOVES TOWARD THE GREAT
LAKES OUT OF THE NORTHERN PLAINS STATES.

DBS
Special weather statement, Sep 10, 5:58 PM EDT, 13 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LANSING, MI
551 PM EDT WED SEP 10 1986

...INTENSE THUNDERSTORM MOVING INTO NORTHERN CALHOUN AND SOUTHERN
   EATON COUNTIES...

AT 550 PM EDT RADAR INDICATED AN INTENSE THUNDERSTORM 10 MILES NORTH OF
BATTLE CREEK MOVING EAST AT 35 MPH.  THIS THUNDERSTORM WILL MOVE ACROSS
NORTHERN CALHOUN AND SOUTHERN EATON COUNTIES BETWEEN 551 PM AND 630 PM
EDT.  TORRENTIAL RAIN...FREQUENT LIGHTNING..AND STRONG WINDwS HAVE BEEN
REPORTED WITH THIS STORM. PEOPLE IN BELLEVUE AND OLIVET ARE NEAR THE
PATH OF THIS STRONG THUNDERSTORM.  BE ALERT FOR RAPID FLOODING OF
STREETS AND LOW-LYING AREAS AS THIS STORM PASSES.

BUNTING

The office that day

Everything else NWS Grand Rapids, MI issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Sep 10, 6:56 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningGRREaton, Ingham34 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; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive.