Tornadoes and Flash Flood in Michigan, April 11 to 12, 2001

Name: Tornadoes and Flash Flood in Michigan, April 11 to 12, 2001
Start: 2001-04-11T18:29
End: 2001-04-12T03:45
Location: Michigan

April 11 to 12, 2001 · NWS GRR · 13 events in 6 counties and zones

Where it happened

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.

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: $360,000
Crop damage: $95,000
Events: 13

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.

Severe thunderstorms developed during the evening hours of the 11th and continued into into the early morning hours of the 12th, producing numerous reports of downed trees and power lines, large hail, a few reports of flash flooding, and even a couple of F0 tornadoes. The first severe weather report was received from East Holton (Muskegon county), where three quarters inch hail was reported by trained spotters at 7:29 p.m. A severe thunderstorm produced one inch hail in Grand Haven (Ottawa county) at 7:40 p.m., and a very brief tornado touchdown occurred in Coopersville (Ottawa county) at 7:42 p.m. The tornado was classified as an F0, and it produced no damage. Numerous reports of severe weather were also received across Muskegon county: Three quarters inch hail was reported in east Holton at 7:29 p.m. One and three quarters inch hail was reported in Fruitport. A very brief tornado touchdown was reported by trained weather spotters in Cloverville at 7:40 p.m. It was also classified as an F0 tornado, and did not produce any damage. Finally, the thunderstorms also produced very heavy rain, causing flash flooding 1 mile west of Twin Lake (Muskegon county), where Cedar Creek went out of it's banks. In Muskegon (Muskegon county), many low lying areas were covered in one to two feet of water, many homeowners reported flooded basements, and portions of several roads were reported as flooded by area law enforcement. Another round of severe thunderstorms developed late at night. Three quarters inch hail was observed at Twin Lake (Muskegon county) at 11:35 p.m. Severe thunderstorms produced extensive damage across Newaygo county: Roof damage included shingles that were blown off of a home 5 miles north of White Cloud at 11:57 p.m. Law enforcement reported that numerous trees were blown down along M-37 between Newaygo and White Cloud. Minor roof damage to a house occurred 3 miles northeast of Fremont. In White Cloud, 8 trees were blown down, each of which was 2 feet in diameter. In Mecosta county, one inch and nickel sized hail was reported in Big Rapids at 12:30 a.m. At 12:40 a.m., the road commission in Mecosta county reported that numerous trees were blown down countywide. One inch hail was observed in Le Roy (Osceola county) at 12:30 a.m. Across Kent county, a tree was blown down 2 miles northwest of Rockford at 12:35 a.m., and several trees were reported down by area law enforcement at 12:40 a.m. The final report of severe weather was received from Marion, in Osceola county, where 0.88 inch diameter hail was reported at 12:50 a.m.

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before the first event, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.

NWS Grand Rapids, MI wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Apr 11, 4:20 PM EST, 2 hours 9 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Apr 11, 4:20 PM EST, 2 hours 9 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAND RAPIDS MI
520 PM EDT WED APR 11 2001

MAIN FORECAST CONCERN IS POTENTIAL FOR SEVERE CONVECTION TONIGHT AND
HIGH WINDS ON THURSDAY.

SEVERE WEATHER POTENTIAL...
LATEST GUIDANCE FROM SPC HAS ONCE AGAIN PLACED THE WRN HALF OF THE
FORECAST AREA IN THE MODERATE RISK AREA FOR SEVERE CONVECTION. THE
MAIN THREAT STILL LOOKS TO BE CONVECTIVE WIND GUSTS ASSOCIATED WITH
EXPECTED PRE-FRONTAL SQUALL LINE. MODELS HAVE BEEN CONSISTENT WITH
THE PARAMETERS COMING TOGETHER FOR THIS SEVERE WEATHER OUTBREAK...
STILL INDICATING A 60 TO 65 KNOT LOW LEVEL JET COMING INTO THE
FORECAST AREA AFTER 00Z. ALTHOUGH THE BEST DYNAMICS ASSOCIATED WITH
THE SYSTEM WILL BE CENTERED JUST TO OUR WEST OVER NRN IL AND SRN
WI...RIGHT EXIT REGION OF 300 MB JET WILL PROVIDE GOOD SYNOPTIC LIFT
TO ALL OF LOWER MICHIGAN. SFC WARM FRONT WAS STILL S OF THE FORECAST
AREA AS OF 20Z...LOCATED FROM NEAR BEH TO FINDLAY OHIO. STILL EXPECT
THIS FRONT TO LIFT NORTH INTO THE FORECAST AREA THIS EVENING...
MAKING IT AS FAR N AS THE I-96 CORRIDOR. EXPECT SFC TEMPERATURES TO
CONTINUE RISING ACROSS THE FORECAST AREA THIS EVENING...WITH
READINGS REACHING OR EXCEEDING 70 DEG F SOUTH OF I-96 AND WEST OF
I-69. SFC BASED INSTABILITY WILL BE GREATEST IN THESE SWRN COUNTIES
TONIGHT...WITH CAPE VALUES POSSIBLY REACHING 1000 TO 2000 J/KG.
FORECAST HELICITY VALUES FROM ETA FORECAST SOUNDINGS ARE RATHER
OMINOUS LOOKING...REACHING 300-400 M2/S2.

OFFICE CONSENSUS ON THE EXPECTED SCENARIO FOR TONIGHT...
SOME SCATTERED CONVECTION IS POSSIBLE THIS EVENING BEFORE 800 PM
ACROSS MAINLY WRN COUNTIES. IT APPEARS AS IF MOST OF THE CURRENT
CONVECTION OVER NRN IL...SRN WI...AND LAKE MI WILL MOVE NNEWD...JUST
GRAZING THE NWRN COUNTIES (NEAR AND N OR MUSKEGON) DURING THE
EVENING HOURS. ADDITIONAL CONVECTIVE DEVELOPMENT IS POSSIBLE ALONG
THE SFC WARM FRONT THIS EVENING AS IT LIFTS INTO THE FORECAST AREA.
THIS WILL HAVE TO BE WATCHED CLOSELY AS SFC-BASED INSTABILITY
DEVELOPS AND HELICITY VALUES RISE AS BOTH DIRECTIONAL AND SPEED
SHEAR INCREASE. WILL HAVE TO WATCH FOR ISOLATED SUPERCELL
DEVELOPMENT ALONG SFC WARM FRONT. A MORE WIDESPREAD THREAT FOR SEVERE
WEATHER WILL COME FROM THE SQUALL LINE EXPECTED TO DEVELOP OVER ERN
IA...NERN MO...AND WRN IL OVER THE NEXT SEVERAL HOURS. ESTIMATED
TIME OF ARRIVAL ACROSS THE WRN FORECAST AREA IS BETWEEN 1000 PM AND
MIDNIGHT. COLD FRONTAL PASSAGE IS EXPECTED BETWEEN MIDNIGHT AND 400
AM ACROSS THE FORECAST AREA.

ONCE AGAIN...STRAIGHT-LINE DAMAGING WIND GUSTS APPEARS TO BE THE
MAIN THREAT. RADAR FEATURES TO WATCH FOR WILL INCLUDE BOW ECHOES AND
ANY BREAKS IN THE LINE...WHERE INFLOW IS FOCUSED. ISOLATED TORNADOES
ARE POSSIBLE...MAINLY IN THE SWRN COUNTIES WHERE THE SFC-BASED
INSTABILITY WILL BE BEST AND SFC INFLOW WILL BE SSERLY. GIVEN THE
STRONG LOW LEVEL JET AND GOOD DYNAMICS ASSOCIATED WITH THE
SYSTEM...THE LAKE MI COLD MARINE LAYERS INFLUENCE ON THE SQUALL
LINE IS EXPECTED TO BE REDUCED. HOWEVER...WE DO EXPECT SOME
WEAKENING IN ACTIVITY AS IT CROSSES LAKE MI.

THURSDAY...
DRY AIR INTRUSION AROUND THE UPPER LOW MOVING TO OUR W/NW SHOULD
BRING A SUNNY START TO THE DAY WITH TEMPERATURES RAPIDLY RISING INTO
THE 60S AND LOWER 70S INLAND. VERY TIGHT SFC GRADIENT COMBINED WITH
LOW LEVEL WINDS 50-60 KNOTS AS CLOSE TO SFC AS 1500-2000 FT WILL
MAKE FOR A WINDY DAY. GOOD MECHANICAL MIXING EXPECTED...SO SFC GUSTS
TO 40 OR 45 KNOTS ARE CERTAINLY POSSIBLE. LOW LEVEL MOISTURE WILL
WRAP AROUND UPPER LOW...REACHING WRN COUNTIES DURING THE AFTERNOON.
ENOUGH INSTABILITY EXPECTED BY LATE AFTERNOON HOURS TO RESULT IN
SCATTERED SHOWER DEVELOPMENT...MAINLY EXPECTED TO AFFECT WRN AND NRN
COUNTIES DURING AFTERNOON/EVENING HOURS.

HIGH WIND ADVISORY STILL LOOKS LIKELY FOR THURSDAY.

THURSDAY NIGHT THROUGH FRIDAY NIGHT...
EXPECT WRAP-AROUND MOISTURE TO DEPART LATE THU NIGHT...BUT
WIDESPREAD CU DEVELOPMENT EXPECTED INLAND FRI. GOOD LAKE BREEZE
SHOULD LIMIT CU DEVELOPMENT IN THE LAKE SHORE COUNTIES...BUT WILL
ALSO BRING IN MUCH COOLER AIR OFF OF THE STILL COLD WATERS OF LAKE
MI. ENOUGH INSTABILITY MAY EXIST FOR SOME SPRINKLES BY LATE
AFTERNOON...BUT WILL LEAVE OFF PCPN MENTION FOR NOW. A RAPIDLY
APPROACHING SHORTWAVE IN ZONAL FLOW WILL APPROACH THE WRN GREAT
LAKES FRI NIGHT...BRINGING AN INCREASE IN CLOUDS AFT 00Z AND
POTENTIAL FOR SHOWERS TO WRN COUNTIES BEFORE 12Z SAT.

GREENE

EXTENDED FORECAST DISCUSSION...
THE ENSEMBLES OF THE MRF AND THE LATEST RUN OF THE AVN AGREE THAT
THIS SYSTEM DEVELOPING OVER NORTH CENTRAL CANADA WILL DEVELOP TO THE
SOUTH/SOUTHEAST OVER THE NEXT 3 TO 4 DAYS AND RESULT IN  A LARGE
CLOSED UPPER LOW OVER OVER EASTERN NA BY EARLY NEXT WEEK. THAT
SYSTEM WILL REMAIN IN PLACE THROUGH THE UPCOMING WEEK. WHILE NOT
IDENTICAL...THE ECMWF IS SIMILAR. AS A RESULT COLD AND UNSTABLE
AIR WITH FREQUENT SHORT WAVES ROTATING AROUND THE UPPER LOW CENTERED
OVER MI BY TUESDAY...WILL BRING AIR COLD ENOUGH FOR SNOW SHOWERS BY
EARLY NEXT WEEK.

WDM

.GRR...NONE.

In the hours before

Special weather statement, Apr 11, 6:25 PM EST, 4 minutes before

MIZ037>040-043>046-050>052-056>059-064>067-071>074-120400-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT...CORRECTION FOR EXPERATION TIME...
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAND RAPIDS MI
725 PM EDT WED APR 11 2001

...A TORNADO WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR ALL OF SOUTHWEST MICHIGAN
   UNTIL MIDNIGHT EDT...

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS ISSUED A TORNADO WARNING FOR ALL OF
SOUTHWEST MICHIGAN UNTIL MIDNIGHT TONIGHT.

A STRONG COLD FRONT MOVING TO WARM UNSTABLE AIR HAS CREATED
CONDITIONS THAT ARE FAVORABLE FOR TORNADOES AND SEVERE
THUNDERSTORMS.  THE THUNDERSTORMS WILL MOVE TO THE NORTHEAST AROUND
AT NEAR 50 MPH.  AT 715 PM AND AREA OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS EXTENDED
FROM NORTHWEST NEWAYGO COUNTY...ACROSS CENTRAL MUSKEGON COUNTY TO 5
MILES WEST OF HOLLAND.  THESE THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE OVER CENTRAL
OTTAWA TO CENTRAL NEWAYGO COUNT BY 745 PM.  ADDITIONAL THUNDERSTORMS
ARE EXPECTED TO DEVELOP AHEAD OF THE COLD FRONT THAT WILL MOVE
THROUGH AREA JUST BEFORE MIDNIGHT.

ANY THUNDERSTORM THIS EVENING COULD HAVE A TORNADO DEVELOP WITH IT.
IF YOU SEE A TORNADO FIND SHELTER IMMEDIATELY IN EITHER A BASEMENT
OR INTERIOR ROOM.

REMEMBER...A TORNADO WATCH MEANS CONDITIONS ARE8 FAVORABLE FOR
TORNADOES AND SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS IN AND CLOSE TO THE WATCH AREA.

WDM

Special weather statement, Apr 11, 6:27 PM EST, 2 minutes before

MIZ037>040-043>046-050>052-056>059-064>067-071>074-120400-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT...CORRECTION FOR WORDING...
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAND RAPIDS MI
727 PM EDT WED APR 11 2001

...A TORNADO WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR ALL OF SOUTHWEST MICHIGAN
   UNTIL MIDNIGHT EDT...

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS ISSUED A TORNADO WATCH FOR ALL OF
SOUTHWEST MICHIGAN TO INCLUDE ADJOING WATERS OF LAKE MICHIGAN UNTIL
MIDNIGHT TONIGHT.

A STRONG COLD FRONT MOVING INTO WARM UNSTABLE AIR HAS CREATED
CONDITIONS THAT ARE FAVORABLE FOR TORNADOS AND SEVERE
THUNDERSTORMS.  THE THUNDERSTORMS WILL MOVE TO THE NORTHEAST AROUND
50 MPH.  AT 715 PM AN AREA OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS EXTENDED FROM
NORTHWEST NEWAYGO COUNTY...ACROSS CENTRAL MUSKEGON COUNTY TO 5
MILES WEST OF HOLLAND.  THESE THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE OVER CENTRAL
OTTAWA TO CENTRAL NEWAYGO COUNTY BY 755 PM.  ADDITIONAL THUNDERSTORMS
ARE EXPECTED TO DEVELOP AHEAD OF THE COLD FRONT THAT WILL MOVE
THROUGH AREA JUST BEFORE MIDNIGHT.

ANY THUNDERSTORM THIS EVENING COULD HAVE A TORNADO DEVELOP WITH IT.
IF YOU SEE A TORNADO FIND SHELTER IMMEDIATELY IN EITHER A BASEMENT
OR AN INTERIOR ROOM.

REMEMBER...A TORNADhO WATCH MEANS CONDITIONS ARE FAVORABLE FOR
TORNADOES AND SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS IN AND CLOSE TO THE WATCH AREA.

WDM

The radar

The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

7 hail, 3 thunderstorm wind, 2 tornado, 1 flash flood. Local standard time, as filed.

Hail, Muskegon

When: April 11, 6:29 PM EST
Where: Muskegon County, Holton
Measured: 0.75 in hail
Property damage: $10,000
Crop damage: $10,000
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 43.417, -86.083

Hail, Muskegon

When: April 11, 6:33 PM EST
Where: Muskegon County, Fruitport
Measured: 1.75 in hail
Property damage: $50,000
Crop damage: $25,000
Reported by: NWS STORM SURVEY
Coordinates: 43.117, -86.150

Flash Flood, Muskegon

When: April 11, 6:35 PM EST to April 12, 3:45 AM EST
Where: Muskegon County, Twin Lake
Property damage: $10,000
Crop damage: $10,000
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 43.219, -86.212 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Hail, Ottawa

When: April 11, 6:40 PM EST
Where: Ottawa County, Grand Haven
Measured: 1 in hail
Property damage: $20,000
Crop damage: $10,000
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 43.067, -86.233

Tornado, Muskegon

When: April 11, 6:40 PM EST
Where: Muskegon County, Cloverville
Rating: F0
Path length: 0.1 mi
Path width: 20 yd
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 43.200, -86.150

Trained spotters reported a very brief tornado touchdown, that did not produce any damage. The tornado was classified as an F0, producing wind speeds in the 40 to 72 m.p.h. range.

Tornado, Ottawa

When: April 11, 6:42 PM EST
Where: Ottawa County, Coopersville
Rating: F0
Path length: 0.1 mi
Path width: 20 yd
Reported by: NWS STORM SURVEY
Coordinates: 43.067, -85.950

Trained spotters reported a very brief tornado touchdown. The tornado was classified as an F0, with winds of 40 to 72 m.p.h. The tornado did not produce any damage.

Hail, Muskegon

When: April 11, 10:35 PM EST
Where: Muskegon County, Twin Lake
Measured: 0.75 in hail
Property damage: $10,000
Crop damage: $10,000
Reported by: NWS STORM SURVEY
Coordinates: 43.367, -86.167

Thunderstorm Wind, Newaygo

When: April 11, 10:57 PM EST to 11:02 PM EST
Where: Newaygo County, White Cloud
Measured: 62 kt (71 mph)
Property damage: $100,000
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 43.550, -85.767

Thunderstorm Wind, Newaygo

When: April 11, 11:20 PM EST
Where: Newaygo County, Newaygo
Measured: 53 kt (61 mph)
Property damage: $50,000
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 43.417, -85.800

Hail, Mecosta

When: April 11, 11:30 PM EST to 11:40 PM EST
Where: Mecosta County, Big Rapids
Measured: 1 in hail
Property damage: $50,000
Crop damage: $10,000
Reported by: NWS STORM SURVEY
Coordinates: 43.700, -85.483

Hail, Osceola

When: April 11, 11:30 PM EST
Where: Osceola County, Le Roy
Measured: 1 in hail
Property damage: $10,000
Crop damage: $10,000
Reported by: NWS STORM SURVEY
Coordinates: 44.033, -85.450

Thunderstorm Wind, Kent

When: April 11, 11:35 PM EST to 11:40 PM EST
Where: Kent County, Rockford
Measured: 53 kt (61 mph)
Property damage: $40,000
Reported by: NWS STORM SURVEY
Coordinates: 43.117, -85.567

Hail, Osceola

When: April 11, 11:50 PM EST
Where: Osceola County, Marion
Measured: 0.88 in hail
Property damage: $10,000
Crop damage: $10,000
Reported by: NWS STORM SURVEY
Coordinates: 44.100, -85.150

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 2001 Every state in 2001 This day in weather history The tornado archive for Michigan, 2001 Warnings in Michigan, April 2001

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: 5238687, 5238677, 5238679, 5238675, 5238678, 5238676, 5238680, 5238683, 5238686, 5238681, 5238684, 5238682, 5238685.