Hail and Damaging Winds in Michigan, May 9, 2000

Name: Hail and Damaging Winds in Michigan, May 9, 2000
Start: 2000-05-09T18:45
End: 2000-05-09T18:45
Location: Michigan

May 9, 2000 · NWS IWX · 3 events in 1 county or zone

A significant mid-level shortwave trough extended through the Mississippi valley during the afternoon with a deepening surface low over northeast Illinois. Much of northern Indiana and southern Michigan were in the warm sector with surface based CAPE of 2500 J/kg and increasing deep layer shear in advance of a 70 knot mid-level jet max ahead of the mid-level shortwave.

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

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The toll

Deaths: 0
Injuries: 0
Property damage: $10,000
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 3

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 IWX wrote it up.

Synoptic and mesoscale conditions during the afternoon of the 9th...A significant mid-level shortwave trough extended through the Mississippi valley during the afternoon with a deepening surface low over northeast Illinois. Much of northern Indiana and southern Michigan were in the warm sector with surface based CAPE of 2500 J/kg and increasing deep layer shear in advance of a 70 knot mid-level jet max ahead of the mid-level shortwave. A prefrontal squall line quickly developed late in the afternoon along the Illinois/Indiana state line. Additional isolated supercells developed in advance of this line and were mainly responsible for the swath of large hail from Wabash to Steuben counties. The squall line gradually organized into a large bow echo with the apex of the bow tracking from southwest Whitley county eastward through northern Allen and into western Defiance county in Ohio where the greatest widespread wind damage was observed.

The radar

The Northern Indiana radar (KIWX), 111 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 23:42 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

2 thunderstorm wind, 1 hail. Local standard time, as filed.

Thunderstorm Wind, Hillsdale

When: May 9, 6:45 PM EST
Where: Hillsdale County, Countywide
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 41.883, -84.567

Numerous trees down.

Thunderstorm Wind, Hillsdale

When: May 9, 6:45 PM EST
Where: Hillsdale County, Hillsdale
Property damage: $10,000
Reported by: EMERGENCY MANAGER
Coordinates: 41.917, -84.617

Barn blown down. Numerous trees down.

Hail, Hillsdale

When: May 9, 6:45 PM EST
Where: Hillsdale County, Hillsdale
Measured: 0.75 in hail
Reported by: EMERGENCY MANAGER
Coordinates: 41.917, -84.617

What these are

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.
Hail: Hail three-quarters of an inch or larger, or smaller hail that caused damage, filed with the largest stone measured.

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 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: 5143420, 5143421, 5143422.