On Saturday, August 16, 1997, a cold front moved slowly south across Michigan's Lower Peninsula. One low pressure wave moved along the front early that morning, resulting in severe thunderstorm development over south central Lower Michigan.
Every event with a place to put it; 1 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.
Deaths and injuries are direct and indirect together, as the offices filed them. Damage is property and crops in the dollars of the year, not adjusted for inflation, and only where an office estimated it.
The episode as NWS GRR wrote it up.
On Saturday, August 16, 1997, a cold front moved slowly south across Michigan's Lower Peninsula. One low pressure wave moved along the front early that morning, resulting in severe thunderstorm development over south central Lower Michigan. Later that afternoon, with very humid and unstable air in place across far southern Lower Michigan, another frontal wave caused severe thunderstorm development along the southern 2 tier of counties across southern Michigan. The thunderstorms produced heavy rainfall amounts of 2 to 5 inches in the counties bordering northern Indiana and northern Ohio, along with isolated reports of wind damage from 60 mph thunderstorm wind gusts. One thunderstorm produced golfball-sized hail in Edwardsburg in Cass County on Saturday afternoon. Local utility companies reported approximately 55,000 power outages during the afternoon and evening across far southern Michigan, most a result of lightning strikes, but some due to downed trees and utility poles.
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
22 thunderstorm wind, 1 hail, 1 waterspout. Local standard time, as filed.
Thunderstorm winds stripped the tops off 3-4 mature maple trees and 5 cottages along East Long Lake received minor damage.
Minor tree damage reported, with limbs strewn along portions of U.S. Highway 12.
Scattered reports of trees and power lines downed across Moscow Township.
Trees reported downed in Hanover.
Trees downed in Marcellus.
Cass Central Dispatch reported trees downed near Jones.
Trees downed across the Three Rivers area.
Scattered reports of trees downed across southern Calhoun County.
A National Weather Service spotter reported several 4 to 5 inch diameter limbs downed 5 miles north of Kinderhook.
Scattered reports of trees downed across St. Joseph County.
Jackson County Central Dispatch relayed report of 60 mph wind gust in the city of Jackson.
Hillsdale County Central Dispatch reported trees downed in Litchfield.
Hillsdale County Central Dispatch reported power lines downed in Osseo and Jefferson Township.
Scattered reports of trees downed across Three Rivers area.
A trained National Weather Service spotter reported golfball-sized hail in Edwardsburg.
Scattered reports of power lines downed in and around Paw Paw.
Kalamazoo County Central Dispatch reported trees downed in Schoolcraft.
The Three Rivers Police Department and weather spotters reported several large tree limbs downed in the city. American Electric Power reported 12 transformer losses and a broken utility pole, which resulted in approximately 1,500 power outages.
Local law enforcement officials sighted a waterspout approximately 5 miles west of Michiana, just offshore, over Lake Michigan. The waterspout dissipated before moving ashore.
Berrien County Central Dispatch reported several large tree limbs downed and pea-sized hail in Grand Beach. One tree fell in the Three Oaks area and 3,000 American Electric Power customers lost power due to lightning strikes and downed limbs.
The Cass County Road Commission reported numerous trees downed in the Birch Lake area of Porter Township, resulting in about 3,000 power outages there. Trees were reported downed south of Michigan Highway 60 along Michigan Highway 40 in Porter Township.
St. Joseph County Central Dispatch reported trees downed and minor street flooding in the White Pigeon area.
St. Joseph County Central Dispatch reported a few trees downed in Centreville.
St. Joseph County Central Dispatch reported trees downed and minor street flooding in Sturgis.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Michigan in 1997Every state in 1997This day in weather historyWarnings in Michigan, August 1997
NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database, compiled from the National Weather Service’s monthly Storm Data. Complete through 2026-06; NCEI adds each month about 75 days after it ends and revises past years a few times a year. Rebuilt 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 5619190, 5619191, 5619192, 5619193, 5619194, 5619306, 5619195, 5619196, 5619197, 5619198, 5619199, 5619200, 5619201, 5619299, 5619300, 5619301, 5619302, 5619303, 5619304, 5619305, 5619307, 5619308, 5619309, 5619310.