Alert archive / Michigan / Tornado Warnings in 2011

Tornado Warning 6, NWS Grand Rapids, MI

May 29, 2011Kalamazoo County, Michigan

NWS Grand Rapids, MI issued this tornado warning at May 29, 2011, 4:16 PM EDT for Kalamazoo County, Michigan. It was in force for 31 min. 7 reports came from inside the area while it was in force.

The area

The outline as issued, with what was reported inside it.

The facts

Issued
May 29, 2011, 4:16 PM EDT (20:16 UTC)
Expired
May 29, 2011, 4:47 PM EDT
In force
31 min
Issued by
NWS Grand Rapids, MI
Area
Storm-based polygon

County Kalamazoo County, MI

The radar

The Grand Rapids radar (KGRR), 84 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 20:17 UTC, the scan nearest the moment this went out.

Open the radar archive at this moment

The archived warnings, watches and discussions in force at that minute are drawn over the scan, this one among them.

What was reported inside it

TimeReportWhereRemark
May 29, 4:18 PM EDTTSTM WND DMG1 E Vicksburg, MITREES ARE DOWN EAST OF VICKSBURG WITH SOME IMPACTS TO PROPERTY. REPORT FROM EMERGENCY MANAGER.
May 29, 4:20 PM EDTTSTM WND DMG2 W Fulton, MISILO...FARM...AND TREE DAMAGE NEAR THE INTERSECTION OF W AVENUE AND 38TH STREET.
May 29, 4:21 PM EDTTSTM WND DMG2 E Vicksburg, MIMULTIPLE TREES DOWN. SNAPPED OFF AT THE BASE. REPORTED BY VICKSBURG COOP OBSERVER
May 29, 4:21 PM EDTTSTM WND DMG3 E Vicksburg, MILARGE GRAIN SILO DESTROYED. ROOF TAKEN OFF OF A HOG BARN.
May 29, 4:23 PM EDTTSTM WND GST 581 S Portage, MIWIND GUST REPORTED VIA THE PUBLIC IN SOUTH PORTAGE
May 29, 4:24 PM EDTTORNADOVicksburg, MIPOSSIBLE TORNADO REPORTED IN VICKSBURG NEAR SPRINKLE ROAD. REPORTED AS A FUNNEL CLOUD WHICH MAY HAVE BRIEFLY TOUCHED DOWN.
May 29, 4:25 PM EDTTSTM WND GST 802 S Fulton, MISPOTTER ESTIMATED THE WINDS OF 75-80 MPH JUST NORTH OF THE KALAMAZOO/ST. JOSEPH COUNTY LINE.

Local storm reports filed while the alert was in force, from inside its polygon or its counties.

The watch it was issued in

The SPC watch in force over the same counties when this warning went out.

IssuedProductOfficeLasted
May 29, 1:29 PM EDTTornado WatchSPC7 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Detroit, MI (KDTX), launched 12:00Z, 8.3 hours before the alert went out and 183 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 2011-05-29Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 12 joules per kilogram.LCLLFCEL10008507005003002001001 km2 km3 km6 km9 km12 km15 km-30°-20°-10°10°20°30°40°
Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.
HodographHodograph, Detroit, MI at 12:00Z on 2011-05-29The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 128 square meters per square second.19395878Sfc1 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
12 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-294 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
499 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
64 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
128 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
298 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
1.4

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

988 
WFUS53 KGRR 292016
TORGRR
MIC077-292100-
/O.NEW.KGRR.TO.W.0006.110529T2016Z-110529T2100Z/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAND RAPIDS MI
416 PM EDT SUN MAY 29 2011

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN GRAND RAPIDS HAS ISSUED A

* TORNADO WARNING FOR...
  SOUTHERN KALAMAZOO COUNTY IN SOUTHWEST MICHIGAN...

* UNTIL 500 PM EDT

* AT 413 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE METEOROLOGISTS WERE
  TRACKING A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING A TORNADO. THIS
  DANGEROUS STORM WAS LOCATED 6 MILES SOUTHEAST OF KALAMAZOO...AND
  MOVING NORTHEAST AT 55 MPH.

* THIS TORNADIC STORM WILL AFFECT MAINLY RURAL AREAS OF SOUTHERN
  KALAMAZOO COUNTY.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

FOR PROTECTION MOVE TO AN INTERIOR ROOM ON THE LOWEST FLOOR OF YOUR
HOME OR BUSINESS.

&&

LAT...LON 4207 8564 4228 8568 4227 8530 4207 8529
      4206 8557
TIME...MOT...LOC 2017Z 242DEG 48KT 4226 8544

$$

TJT
2 follow-up statements
927 
WWUS53 KGRR 292021
SVSGRR

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAND RAPIDS MI
421 PM EDT SUN MAY 29 2011

MIC077-292100-
/O.CON.KGRR.TO.W.0006.000000T0000Z-110529T2100Z/
KALAMAZOO MI-
421 PM EDT SUN MAY 29 2011

...A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR SOUTHERN KALAMAZOO COUNTY
UNTIL 500 PM EDT...

AT 417 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE METEOROLOGISTS WERE TRACKING
A SEVERE SQUALL LINE CAPABLE OF PRODUCING DAMAGING STRAIGHT LINE
WINDS AND RAIN-WRAPPED TORNADOES.  THIS DANGEROUS STORM WAS
LOCATED 8 MILES EAST OF KALAMAZOO...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 55 MPH.

LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...
  SCHOOLCRAFT...        FULTON...             PORTAGE...
  CLIMAX...             VICKSBURG...          SCOTTS...
  PAVILION...

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

TAKE COVER NOW. MOVE TO AN INTERIOR ROOM ON THE LOWEST FLOOR OF A
STURDY BUILDING. AVOID WINDOWS. IF IN A MOBILE HOME...A VEHICLE OR
OUTDOORS...MOVE TO THE CLOSEST SUBSTANTIAL SHELTER AND PROTECT
YOURSELF FROM FLYING OBJECTS.

&&

A TORNADO WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 800 PM EDT SUNDAY EVENING FOR
SOUTHWESTERN MICHIGAN.

LAT...LON 4207 8564 4228 8568 4227 8530 4207 8529
      4206 8557
TIME...MOT...LOC 2019Z 242DEG 48KT 4227 8540

$$

DUKE
826 
WWUS53 KGRR 292047
SVSGRR

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAND RAPIDS MI
447 PM EDT SUN MAY 29 2011

MIC077-292057-
/O.CAN.KGRR.TO.W.0006.000000T0000Z-110529T2100Z/
KALAMAZOO MI-
447 PM EDT SUN MAY 29 2011

...THE TORNADO WARNING FOR SOUTHERN KALAMAZOO COUNTY IS CANCELLED...

THE STORM WHICH PROMPTED THE WARNING HAS MOVED OUT OF THE WARNED
AREA.

A TORNADO WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 800 PM EDT SUNDAY EVENING FOR
SOUTHWESTERN MICHIGAN.

LAT...LON 4207 8564 4228 8568 4227 8530 4207 8529
      4206 8557
TIME...MOT...LOC 2047Z 242DEG 48KT 4241 8493

$$

DUKE

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
May 28, 9:38 PM EDTRiver Flood AdvisoryGRRJackson61 hr
May 29, 11:12 AM EDTFlood WatchGRRAllegan, Barry, Calhoun, Clinton, Eaton, Ingham and 6 more11 hr
May 29, 1:21 PM EDTSpecial Marine WarningGRR84 min
May 29, 1:39 PM EDTSpecial Weather StatementGRRAllegan, Van Buren51 min
May 29, 2:25 PM EDTSpecial Weather StatementGRRAllegan, Ottawa, Van Buren80 min
May 29, 2:38 PM EDTFlash Flood WarningGRRAllegan, Van Buren5 hr
May 29, 2:44 PM EDTSpecial Marine WarningGRR72 min
May 29, 3:14 PM EDTSpecial Weather StatementGRRAllegan, Barry, Calhoun, Ionia, Kalamazoo, Van Buren61 min
May 29, 3:27 PM EDTAreal Flood AdvisoryGRRBarry, Calhoun, Eaton, Ingham, Jackson, Kalamazoo12 hr
May 29, 3:58 PM EDTTornado WarningGRRKalamazoo47 min
May 29, 4:08 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningGRRBarry52 min
May 29, 4:25 PM EDTTornado WarningGRRBarry, Calhoun35 min
May 29, 4:47 PM EDTTornado WarningGRREaton28 min
May 29, 4:54 PM EDTTornado WarningGRRIngham, Jackson51 min
May 29, 5:01 PM EDTAreal Flood AdvisoryGRRClinton12 hr
May 29, 5:50 PM EDTFlash Flood WarningGRRClinton, Eaton, Ingham, Ionia6 hr
May 29, 7:55 PM EDTRiver Flood WarningGRRKent5 days

Nearby

Tornado Warnings in Michigan, 2011Every tornado warning in 2011Tornadoes in 2011

Sources

The product and its follow-ups from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service and Storm Prediction Center text; local storm reports from the same archive; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.