Tornado and Flash Flooding in Michigan, May 12, 2000

Name: Tornado and Flash Flooding in Michigan, May 12, 2000
Start: 2000-05-12T15:55
End: 2000-05-12T23:30
Location: Michigan

May 12, 2000 · NWS GRR · 11 events in 5 counties and zones

A large severe thunderstorm outbreak produced numerous reports of large hail across mainly Allegan and Barry Counties during the evening. m.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 3 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. 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: 0
Injuries: 0
Property damage: $350,000
Crop damage: $130,000
Events: 11

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 thunderstorm outbreak produced numerous reports of large hail across mainly Allegan and Barry Counties during the evening. There were many reports from trained spotters and law enforcement of one inch hail in both Fennville and Saugatuck, in Allegan County, between 5:40 and 5:50 p.m. EST. One inch hail was also reported in Glenn in Allegan County at 5:51 p.m. EST by a trained spotter. A report from local media was received of .88" hail in Newaygo (Newaygo County) at 6:03 p.m. EST. There was a very brief touchdown of a F0 tornado 4 miles north northeast of Gobles in an open field at 6:43 p.m. EST, with only very minor damage to a few trees and crops. Numerous reports of .88" hail were also received from trained spotters in Allegan (Allegan County) at 7:14 p.m. EST. Severe thunderstorm wind gusts to 60 m.p.h. were reported between 6:45 and 6:51 p.m. EST by trained spotters in Nashville, and law enforcement near Gun Lake, both in Barry County. Law enforcement reported that several trees and power lines were downed in the vicinity of Gun Lake. .88" hail was also reported 5 miles south of the city of Allegan (Allegan County) at 6:52 p.m. EST by a trained spotter. One inch hail was reported 2 miles north of Dowling (Barry County) at 7:30 p.m. EST. In addition to hail, the thunderstorms also produced torrential rainfall which produced some flash flooding in Allegan and Barry Counties. Four feet of water was reported 4 miles northwest of Fennville at the intersection of 63rd street and M-89 by a trained spotter at 6:15 p.m. EST. A trained spotter reported that a road was washed out in Wayland at the intersection of 1st and 104th streets at 8:30 p.m. EST. A road and private driveway was washed out in Carlton Township (Barry County) at 9 p.m. EST, and the Barry County Road Commission reported that several secondary roads were temporaraily under water. Earlier in the day, there was one isolated severe thunderstorm that produced three quarters inch hail in Harrison (Clare County) at 3:55 p.m. EST.

The radar

The NCL Michigan radar (KAPX), 99 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 20:55 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

6 hail, 3 flash flood, 1 tornado, 1 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.

Hail, Clare

When: May 12, 3:55 PM EST
Where: Clare County, Harrison
Measured: 0.75 in hail
Property damage: $30,000
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 44.017, -84.800

Hail, Allegan

When: May 12, 5:30 PM EST to 5:51 PM EST
Where: Allegan County, Saugatuck
Measured: 1 in hail
Property damage: $100,000
Crop damage: $50,000
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 42.650, -86.200

Hail, Newaygo

When: May 12, 6:03 PM EST
Where: Newaygo County, Newaygo
Measured: 0.88 in hail
Property damage: $30,000
Crop damage: $10,000
Reported by: BROADCAST MEDIA
Coordinates: 43.417, -85.800

Hail, Allegan

When: May 12, 6:14 PM EST
Where: Allegan County, Allegan
Measured: 0.88 in hail
Property damage: $50,000
Crop damage: $25,000
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 42.533, -85.850

Flash Flood, Allegan

When: May 12, 6:15 PM EST to 11:15 PM EST
Where: Allegan County, Fennville
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 42.518, -85.910 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Tornado, Van Buren

When: May 12, 6:43 PM EST to 6:44 PM EST
Where: Van Buren County, Gobles
Rating: F0
Path length: 0.1 mi
Path width: 10 yd
Property damage: $10,000
Crop damage: $10,000
Reported by: NWS STORM SURVEY
Coordinates: 42.350, -85.867

Thunderstorm Wind, Barry

When: May 12, 6:45 PM EST to 6:51 PM EST
Where: Barry County, Gun Lake
Measured: 53 kt (61 mph)
Property damage: $50,000
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 42.617, -85.533

Hail, Allegan

When: May 12, 6:52 PM EST
Where: Allegan County, Allegan
Measured: 0.88 in hail
Property damage: $30,000
Crop damage: $10,000
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 42.533, -85.850

Hail, Barry

When: May 12, 7:30 PM EST
Where: Barry County, Dowling
Measured: 1 in hail
Property damage: $50,000
Crop damage: $25,000
Reported by: NWS STORM SURVEY
Coordinates: 42.517, -85.250

Flash Flood, Allegan

When: May 12, 8:30 PM EST to 11:30 PM EST
Where: Allegan County, Wayland
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 42.518, -85.910 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flash Flood, Barry

When: May 12, 9:00 PM EST to 11:30 PM EST
Where: Barry County, North Portion
Reported by: NWS STORM SURVEY
Coordinates: 42.595, -85.309 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

What these are

Hail: Hail three-quarters of an inch or larger, or smaller hail that caused damage, filed with the largest stone measured.
Flash Flood: Flooding that begins within six hours of the rain that causes it, or of a dam or levee failure or ice jam release, often with deadly speed.
Tornado: A violently rotating column of air in contact with the ground and extending from a thunderstorm, filed with its path, width and Fujita or Enhanced Fujita rating from the damage survey.
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

Every storm in Michigan in 2000 Every state in 2000 This day in weather history The tornado archive for Michigan, 2000 Warnings in Michigan, May 2000

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: 5144052, 5144053, 5144058, 5144054, 5144059, 5144062, 5144055, 5144057, 5144056, 5144060, 5144061.