Alert archive / Michigan / Tornado Warnings in 1988
Tornado Warning 3, NWS Grand Rapids, MI
NWS Grand Rapids, MI issued this tornado warning at Aug 14, 1988, 10:31 PM EDT for Allegan County, Michigan. It was in force for 44 min. 1 report 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
- Aug 14, 1988, 10:31 PM EDT (02:31 UTC)
- Expired
- Aug 14, 1988, 11:15 PM EDT
- In force
- 44 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.
What was reported inside it
| Time | Report | Where | Remark |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 14, 10:44 PM EDT | Thunderstorm Wind 0 | Allegan, 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, 2.5 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
- 2113 J/kg
- Mixed-layer CIN
- -1 J/kg
- Mixed-layer LCL
- 1366 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 40 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- 107 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 243 m²/s²
- Significant tornado parameter
- 1.0
- Supercell composite
- 8.1
The text
As transmitted, in the capitals the NWS used until 2016.
000
TTAA00 KGRR 150231
TORGRR
MIC005-150315-
BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED/EBS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAND RAPIDS MI
1031 PM EDT SUN AUG 14 1988
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS ISSUED A TORNADO WARNING
EFFECTIVE UNTIL 1115 PM EDT FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING COUNTY
IN THE SOUTHWEST PART OF LOWER MICHIGAN
ALLEGAN
AT 1030 PM EDT...THE ALLEGAN COUNTY SHERIFF REPORTED A MOTORIST
SIGHTED A FUNNEL CLOUD AT THE BLUE STAR HIGHWAY AND 144TH STREET.
WEATHER RADAR ALSO INDICATED A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM ABOUT 5 MILES
WEST OF THE CITY OF WAYLAND..20 MILES SOUTH OF GRAND RAPIDS. THE
STORMS WERE MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 40 MPH.
IF YOU ARE IN THE PATH OF A TORNADO...THE SAFEST PLACE TO BE IS IN
A BASEMENT. GET UNDER A WORKBENCH OR PIECE OF STURDY FURNITURE.
IF NO BASEMENT IS AVAILABLE...FIND SHELTER IN AN INTERIOR ROOM
SUCH AS A CLOSET ON THE LOWEST FLOOR. USE BLANKETS...PILLOWS...
OR CUSHIONS TO COVER YO$UR BODY. AVOID WINDOWS.
IF YOU ARE CAUGHT OUTSIDE...FIND SHELTER IN A NEARBY REINFORCED
BUILDING. AS A LAST RESORT...TAKE SHELTER IN A CULVERT...DITCH...
OR LOW SPOT AND COVER YOUR HEAD WITH YOUR HANDS.
MJKWhat 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, Aug 14, 8:53 PM EDT, 1 hour 38 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAND RAPIDS MI 855 PM EDT SUN AUG 14 1988 ...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS MOVING ACROSS MONTCALM AND NORTHERN IONIA COUNTIES... AT 850 PM EDT...AN AREA OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WAS LOCATED OVER EXTREME NORTHERN IONIA COUNTY AND WESTERN MONTCALM COUNTY MOVING EAST AROUND 40 MPH. THESE STORMS COULD CONTAIN SMALL TO MEDIUM SIZE HAIL AND HAVE SHORT BURSTS OF STRONG WINDS. THEY ARE ALSO ACCOMPANIED BY HEAVY RAIN. PERSONS IN THE PATH OF THESE STORMS SHOULD BE CAUTIOUS AND REPORT ANY DAMAGE TO THE NEAREST LAW ENFOREMENT AGENCY. DS
Special weather statement, Aug 14, 9:03 PM EDT, 1 hour 28 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LANSING, MI
902 PM EDT SUN AUG 14 1988
...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS ENTERING GRATIOT COUNTY...
AT 855 PM EDT RADAR INDICATED AN AREA OF SHOWERS AND STRONG THUNDERSTORMS
EXTENDING FROM WESTERN GRATOIT COUNTY SOUTHWESTWARD INTO NORTHERN IONIA
COUNTY. THESE STORMS WERE MOVING RAPIDLY EASTWARD AT AROUND 40 MPH AND
MAY CONTAIN STRONG GUSTY WINDS...BRIEF HEAVY RAIN...DANGEROUS LIGHTNING
AND SMALL HAIL. THE THUNDERSTORMS MAY CLIP NORTHERN CLINTON COUNTY AS
THEY PROCEED TO THE EAST.
IF THREATENING WEATHER IS MOVING TOWARD YOU TAKE SHELTER IMMEDIATELY
AND STAY TUNED TO YOUR NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR COMMERCIAL RADIO AND
TELEVISION STATION FOR FURTHER UPDATES.
KALLASSpecial weather statement, Aug 14, 9:24 PM EDT, 1 hour 7 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAND RAPIDS MI 925 PM EDT SUN AUG 14 1988 ...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS MOVING ACROSS MONTCALM AND NORTHERN IONIA COUNTIES... AT 925 PM EDT...AN AREA OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WAS LOCATED OVER NORTH CENTRAL IONIA, NORTH KENT AND SOUTHERN MONTCALM COUNTIES MOVING EAST AROUND 40 MPH. THESE STORMS COULD CONTAIN SMALL TO MEDIUM SIZE HAIL AND HAVE SHORT BURSTS OF STRONG WINDS. THEY ARE ALSO ACCOMPANIED BY HEAVY RAIN. PERSONS IN THE PATH OF THESE STORMS SHOULD BE CAUTIOUS AND REPORT ANY DAMAGE TO THE NEAREST LAW ENFOREMENT AGENCY. DS
Special weather statement, Aug 14, 9:57 PM EDT, 34 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAND RAPIDS MI 1000 PM EDT SUN AUG 14 1988 ...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS IN SOUTHEAST MONTCALM COUNTY... AT 950 PM EDT...REPORTS INDICATED STORM DAMAGE IN SOUTHEAST MONTCALM COUNTY. TREES WERE DOWN AND A TRAILER DAMAGED BY THUNDERSTORMS ABOUT 5 MILES SOUTH OF THE CITY OF SHERIDAN...35 MILES NORTHEAST OF GRAND RAPIDS. THE STORMS HAVE ALREADY MOVED INTO GRATIOT AND CLINTON COUNTIES TO THE EAST. THEY WERE MOVING EAST AT 40 MPH. MJK
Special weather statement, Aug 14, 10:07 PM EDT, 24 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAND RAPIDS MI 1007 PM EDT SUN AUG 14 1988 ...THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR NORTHEAST IONIA IS CANCELLED... AT 1000 PM EDT...WEATHER RADAR INDICATED THE THUNDERSTORMS IN NORTHEAST IONIA COUNTY HAD MOVED TO THE EAST TO CLINTON COUNTY. THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR IONIA COUNTY IS NOW CANCELLED. RADAR ALSO INDICATED A NEW LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS FORMING FROM WEST IONIA COUNTY...WEST TO ABOUT 20 MILES WEST OF HOLLAND OVER LAKE MICHIGAN. THE STRONGEST STORM WAS LOCATED NEAR WYOMING MICHIGAN...5 MILES SOUTHWEST OF GRAND RAPIDS. NO MOVEMENT WAS INDICATED. MJK
Special weather statement, Aug 14, 10:16 PM EDT, 15 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LANSING, MI
1011 PM EDT SUN AUG 14 1988
...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR CLINTON COUNTY...
AT 1010 PM EDT RADAR INDICATED A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WAS MOVING THROUGH
CLINTON COUNTY. REPORTS OF CAMPERS BEING BLOWN OVER...0 VISIBILITY DUE
TO VERY HEAVY RAIN AND MARBLE SIZE HAIL HAVE BEEN RECEIVED FROM THE STATE
POLICE. THIS IS A VERY DANGEROUS STORM THAT MAY CONTAIN VERY STRONG GUSTY
WINDS...VERY HEAVY RAIN...DANGEROUS LIGHTNING...AND SMALL HAIL.
PEOPLE LIVING IN CLINTON COUNTY SHOULD SEEK SHELTER IMMEDIATELY UNTIL
THE THUNDERSTORM MOVES OUT OF YOUR AREA. STAY TUNED TO YOUR NOAA WEATHER
RADIO OR TELEVISION STATIONS FOR FURTHER UPDATES ON THIS DANGEROUS STORM.
KALLASThe office that day
Everything else NWS Grand Rapids, MI issued on the same UTC day.
| Issued | Product | Office | Counties | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 14, 9:40 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | GRR | Ionia | 35 min |
| Aug 14, 10:02 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | GRR | Clinton | 28 min |
| Aug 14, 11:14 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | GRR | Eaton, Ingham | 46 min |
| Aug 14, 11:41 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | GRR | Clinton | 64 min |
| Aug 15, 12:11 AM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | GRR | Kalamazoo, Van Buren | 64 min |
Nearby
Tornado Warnings in Michigan, 1988Every tornado warning in 1988Tornadoes in 1988
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.