Michigan, 1999

Hail and Damaging Winds in Michigan, May 17, 1999

May 17, 1999 · NWS GRR · 17 events in 15 counties and zones

A large severe weather outbreak occurred across southern lower Michigan, featuring numerous reports of wind gusts of 60 to 70 miles per hour that downed numerous trees and power lines. A wind gust caused a home under construction to collapse in Wyoming in Kent County, causing one fatality and injuring another.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it. Tap one for its entry below.

  • Tornadoes
  • Tropical storms and surge
  • Floods
  • Wind
  • Hail
  • Winter weather
  • Heat and drought
  • Cold
  • Fire, smoke and dust
  • Marine and coastal
  • Other

Open the live radar over this ground

The toll

Deaths
1
Injuries
1
Property damage
$900,000
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
17

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.

What happened

The episode as NWS GRR wrote it up.

A large severe weather outbreak occurred across southern lower Michigan, featuring numerous reports of wind gusts of 60 to 70 miles per hour that downed numerous trees and power lines. A wind gust caused a home under construction to collapse in Wyoming in Kent County, causing one fatality and injuring another. There was a recorded wind gust to 115 miles per hour in Calhoun County. There were also a few reports of hail 0.75" - 1.00" in diameter. A rotating wall cloud was reported in northern Kalamazoo County, but there were no tornado touchdowns. All of this activity developed quickly during the afternoon hours, as the atmosphere rapidly destabilized. A squall line developed along the Michigan and Indiana border during the mid afternoon hours, and movedquickly to the north northeast.

The radar

The Grand Rapids radar (KGRR), 15 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 18:46 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

15 thunderstorm wind, 2 hail. Local standard time, as filed.

Hail, Kent

When
May 17, 1:45 PM EST
Where
Kent County, Ada
Measured
0.88 in hail
Reported by
NWS STORM SURVEY
Coordinates
43.020, -85.480

0.88" diameter hail was observed in Ada.

Thunderstorm Wind, Kalamazoo

When
May 17, 3:10 PM EST to 3:27 PM EST
Where
Kalamazoo County, Countywide
Measured
52 kt (60 mph)
Property damage
$50,000
Reported by
NWS STORM SURVEY
Coordinates
42.250, -85.500

Numerous trees were downed by strong winds across Kalamazoo. A 60 mile per hour wind gust was recorded in Cooper Township in northwest Kalamazoo County.

Thunderstorm Wind, Calhoun

When
May 17, 3:22 PM EST
Where
Calhoun County, Countywide
Measured
100 kt (115 mph)
Property damage
$100,000
Reported by
NWS STORM SURVEY
Coordinates
42.250, -85.000

Numerous trees and power lines were downed across the county by strong winds. A 115 mile per hour wind gust was recorded in northwest Newton. Numerous trees were also blown down in Homer, Marshall, and Albion, in some cases causing damage to homes.

Thunderstorm Wind, Allegan

When
May 17, 3:30 PM EST
Where
Allegan County, Allegan
Measured
52 kt (60 mph)
Property damage
$50,000
Reported by
NWS STORM SURVEY
Coordinates
42.530, -85.850

A 60 mile per hour wind gust was recorded in Allegan. Numerous trees were downed including at least one that fell on a home in Allegan, causing roof damage.

Thunderstorm Wind, Barry

When
May 17, 3:30 PM EST to 3:40 PM EST
Where
Barry County, Countywide
Property damage
$50,000
Reported by
NWS STORM SURVEY
Coordinates
42.600, -85.300

Many trees and power lines were downed by strong winds across Barry County.

Thunderstorm Wind, Ottawa

When
May 17, 3:46 PM EST
Where
Ottawa County, Countywide
Property damage
$50,000
Reported by
NWS STORM SURVEY
Coordinates
42.950, -86.000

Wind gusts downed numerous trees and power lines. A metal roof was blown off a home in Hudsonville.

Thunderstorm Wind, Kent

When
May 17, 3:50 PM EST to 4:00 PM EST
Where
Kent County, Wyoming
Measured
61 kt (70 mph)
Deaths
1 direct, 0 indirect
Injuries
1 direct, 0 indirect
Property damage
$50,000
Reported by
NWS STORM SURVEY
Coordinates
42.930, -85.730

Gusty thunderstorm winds flattened a house under construction in Wyoming in Kent County, causing one fatality and injuring another person. A 70 mile per hour wind gust was recorded in Grandville. Numerous trees were downed across the county. A 75 mile per hour wind gust was recorded in Grand Rapids.

Thunderstorm Wind, Eaton

When
May 17, 4:00 PM EST
Where
Eaton County, Countywide
Property damage
$50,000
Reported by
NWS STORM SURVEY
Coordinates
42.600, -84.880

Numerous trees and power lines were downed across the county. A small plane at the Fitch Beach Airport in Charlotte was flipped over by strong winds.

Hail, Jackson

When
May 17, 4:00 PM EST
Where
Jackson County, Parma
Measured
0.75 in hail
Property damage
$50,000
Reported by
NWS STORM SURVEY
Coordinates
42.250, -84.600

0.75" hail was reported in Parma. Numerous trees and power lines were also brought down in the Napoleon and Clark Lake areas.

Thunderstorm Wind, Ionia

When
May 17, 4:00 PM EST
Where
Ionia County, Saranac
Property damage
$50,000
Reported by
NWS STORM SURVEY
Coordinates
42.930, -85.220

Gusty thunderstorm winds tore the roof off a barn just southwest of Saranac.

Thunderstorm Wind, Kent

When
May 17, 4:20 PM EST
Where
Kent County, Rockford
Property damage
$50,000
Reported by
NWS STORM SURVEY
Coordinates
43.120, -85.570

Wind damage was reported to a barn and residence. A roof was blown off a golf club house. Numerous trees and power lines were also downed.

Thunderstorm Wind, Ingham

When
May 17, 4:20 PM EST to 4:25 PM EST
Where
Ingham County, Lansing
Measured
62 kt (71 mph)
Property damage
$100,000
Reported by
NWS STORM SURVEY
Coordinates
42.730, -84.530

Wind damage included numerous trees and power lines that were downed. A 70 mile per hour wind gust was recorded in East St. Johns. 0.75" hail was observed in Lansing.

Thunderstorm Wind, Montcalm

When
May 17, 4:20 PM EST
Where
Montcalm County, Lakeview
Property damage
$50,000
Reported by
NWS STORM SURVEY
Coordinates
43.430, -85.280

Thunderstorm winds blew down trees and power lines in Lakeview.

Thunderstorm Wind, Clinton

When
May 17, 4:30 PM EST
Where
Clinton County, De Witt
Property damage
$50,000
Reported by
NWS STORM SURVEY
Coordinates
42.830, -84.550

Two to three foot diameter trees were downed by strong winds at the intersection of I-69 and US-127.

Thunderstorm Wind, Isabella

When
May 17, 4:40 PM EST
Where
Isabella County, Countywide
Property damage
$50,000
Reported by
NWS STORM SURVEY
Coordinates
42.630, -84.850

Power lines and a a few branches were knocked down by thunderstorm wind gusts.

Thunderstorm Wind, Gratiot

When
May 17, 4:45 PM EST
Where
Gratiot County, Countywide
Property damage
$50,000
Reported by
NWS STORM SURVEY
Coordinates
43.300, -84.580

Several trees and limbs were downed.

Thunderstorm Wind, Clare

When
May 17, 5:20 PM EST
Where
Clare County, Harrison
Measured
52 kt (60 mph)
Property damage
$50,000
Reported by
NWS STORM SURVEY
Coordinates
44.020, -84.800

Large trees and some power lines were downed by gusty winds in Harrison.

The people who died

As the offices recorded each death: direct deaths were caused by the weather itself, indirect ones by something it set in motion.

EventDateAgeSexWhereKind
Thunderstorm Wind, Kent1999-05-1721MaleOtherDirect

What these are

Hail
Hail three-quarters of an inch or larger, or smaller hail that caused damage, filed with the largest stone measured.
Thunderstorm Wind
Winds from a thunderstorm of 50 knots (58 mph) or more, or lower winds that caused damage or casualties. Measured gusts are marked MG, estimated EG.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in Michigan in 1999Every state in 1999This day in weather historyWarnings in Michigan, May 1999

Sources

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: 5708346, 5708347, 5708348, 5708349, 5708350, 5708351, 5708352, 5708353, 5708354, 5708447, 5708355, 5708443, 5708448, 5708444, 5708445, 5708449, 5708446.