Alert archive / Michigan / Tornado Warnings in 1986
Tornado Warning 8, NWS Grand Rapids, MI
NWS Grand Rapids, MI issued this tornado warning at May 17, 1986, 9:51 PM EDT for Allegan County, Michigan. It was in force for 24 min.
The area
The counties it named.
The facts
- Issued
- May 17, 1986, 9:51 PM EDT (01:51 UTC)
- Expired
- May 17, 1986, 10:15 PM EDT
- In force
- 24 min
- Issued by
- NWS Grand Rapids, MI
- Area
- Whole counties
County Allegan 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 00:00Z, 1.9 hours before the alert went out and 204 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
- 306 J/kg
- Mixed-layer CIN
- -45 J/kg
- Mixed-layer LCL
- 1248 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 14 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- 80 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 133 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 180151 TORGRR MIC005-180215- BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED/EBS ACTIVATION REQUESTED TORNADO WARNING NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAND RAPIDS MI 951 PM EDT SAT MAY 17 1986 THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS ISSUED A TORNADO WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL 1015 PM EDT FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING COUNTY OF SOUTHWEST LOWER MICHIGAN...ALLEGAN ALLEGAN COUNTY SHERIFF REPORTED A TORNADO TOUCHED DOWN 10 MILES WEST OF THE CITY OF ALLEGAN, 30 MILES SOUTHWEST OF GRAND RAPIDS. THE TORNADO HAD GONE BACK INTO THE CLOUDS AND WAS MOVING EAST AT 30 MPH. PERSONS IN THE CITIES OF WATSON, KELLOGG AND MARTIN IN ALLEGAN COUNTY SHOULD TAKE COVER NOW. 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. KERSEY
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, May 17, 5:57 PM EDT, 3 hours 54 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAND RAPIDS MI 555 PM EDT SAT MAY 17 1986 THE PUBLIC HAS REPORTED PEA SIZED HAIL FALLING IN KENTWOOD, A SOUTHERN SUBERB OF GRAND RAPIDS. WEATHER RADAR INDICATED INTENSE THUNDERSTORMS OVER SOUTHWEST KENT COUNTY. ALL PERSONS IN SOUTHERN KENT COUNTY SHOULD WATCH FOR RAPIDLY CHANGING WEATHER CONDITIONS AND LISTEN FOR LATER STATEMENTS. TORNADO WATCH NUMBER 189 REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR ALL OF SOUTHWEST LOWER MICHIGAN UNTIL 900 PM EDT. KERSY
Special weather statement, May 17, 7:40 PM EDT, 2 hours 11 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LANSING MI 736 PM EDT SAT MAY 17 1986 ...TORNADO WATCH FOR SOUTH CENTRAL LOWER MICHIGAN TILL 9 PM EDT... SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR CLINTON COUNTY TIL 8PM... AT 735 PM A FUNNEL CLOUD WAS SIGHT 4 MILES E OF FLOWER MOVING TO THE NORTHEAST AT 30 MPH. PERSONS LIVING OR IN THE PATH OF THIS STORM SHOULD TAKE SHELTER IN A REINFORCED BUILDING OR IN AN INTERIOR HALLWAY. SUTTLE
Local storm report, May 17, 8:34 PM EDT, 1 hour 17 minutes before
STORM REPORT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAND RAPIDS MI 835 PM EDT SAT MAY 17 1986 ALL TIMES EDT... 234 VAN BUREN COUNTY, POSSIBLE FUNNEL CLOUD AT LAWERENCE. 403 KENT COUNTY, PEA SIZED HAIL IN CALEDONIA. 440 MONTCALM COUNTY, FUNNEL CLOUD AT CRYSTAL. 549 KENT COUNTY, PEA SIZED HAIL IN KENTWOOD. 605 ALLEGAN COUNTY, 1/2-3/4 INCH HAIL IN THE CITY OF ALLEGAN. 626 IONIA COUNTY, 1/2-3/4 INCH HAIL IN SARANAC, ROTATING WALL CLOUD. 636 KENT COUNTY, 3/8-1/2 INCH HAIL IN CALEDONIA. 638 KENT COUNTY, 1/2 INCH HAIL IN CALEDONIA. 653 IONIA COUNTY, PEA SIZED HAIL. 658 IONIA COUNTY, WALL CLOUD AND HIGH WINDS NEAR CLARKSVILLE. 726 KENT COUNTY, 3/8 INCH HAIL NEAR CANNONSBURG. ALL TIMES ARE TIME C,ALL WAS RECIEVED AT WSO GRR, EVENT OCCURRED 5 TO 10 MINUTES BEFORE CALL WAS RECIEVED. REK
Local storm report, May 17, 9:04 PM EDT, 47 minutes before
STORM REPORT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MUSKEGON MI 900 PM EDT SAT MAY 17 1986 AT 824 NEWAYGO SHERRIF REPORTED TREES DOWN IN FREMONT MICHIGAN ALONG WITH 3/4 INCH HAIL. CAMPBELL
The office that day
Everything else NWS Grand Rapids, MI issued on the same UTC day.
| Issued | Product | Office | Counties | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 17, 9:03 PM EDT | Tornado Warning | GRR | Hillsdale | 27 min |
| May 17, 9:26 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | GRR | Jackson | 34 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.