Michigan, 2001Tornadoes in Michigan, May 21, 2001
May 21, 2001 · NWS GRR · 15 events in 11 counties and zones
15 tornado, as filed by the National Weather Service.
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
- Deaths
- 0
- Injuries
- 2
- Property damage
- $2.3 million
- Crop damage
- $385,000
- Events
- 15
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 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 May 21, 11:20 AM EST, 1 hour 55 minutes earlier.
Area forecast discussion, May 21, 11:20 AM EST, 1 hour 55 minutes before
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAND RAPIDS MI
1220 PM EDT MON MAY 21 2001
CLOUDS EXPECTED TO LIMIT THE AMOUNT OF DESTABILIZATION THIS
AFTERNOON...PRIOR TO FRONTAL PASSAGE. IF CURRENT CLOUD AND
PRECIPITATION TRENDS CONTINUE THROUGH THE AFTERNOON...THE POTENTIAL
FOR SEVERE WEATHER WILL BE LIMITED.
CURRENT FORECAST OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS LOOKS GOOD FOR THE
AFTERNOON. A VERY MOIST AIRMASS WILL BE IN PLACE...WzITH FORECAST
SOUNDINGS SHOWING THAT THE MOISTURE WILL BE DEEP AS WELL. AT THIS
POINT...LOOKS LIKE A WET AFTERNOON ALL LOCATIONS AND STEADY
TEMPERATURES IN THE MID 60S TO LOW 70S.
.GRR...NONE.
MJS
In the hours before
Special weather statement, May 21, 8:00 AM EST, 5 hours 15 minutes before
MIZ037>040-043>046-050>052-056>059-064>067-071>074-221100-
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT...UPDATED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAND RAPIDS MI
900 AM EDT MON MAY 21 2001
...HAZARDOUS WEATHER POTENTIAL STATEMENT FOR THE SOUTHWEST QUARTER OF
LOWER MICHIGAN FOR THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT...
DISPATCHERS PLEASE PASS ALONG THIS INFORMATION TO YOUR EMERGENCY
MANAGERS.
HAZARDS...THERE IS A SLIGHT RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS THIS
AFTERNOON THROUGHOUT SOUTHWEST LOWER MICHIGAN. THE PRIMARY THREAT
FROM THESE THUNDERSTORMS WOULD BE DAMAGING WIND
GUSTS TO 60 MPH AND LARGE HAIL TO 1 INCH IN DIAMETER.
ANY THUNDERSTORMS THAT DO DEVELOP WILL MOVE TO THE NORTH NORTHEAST
AROUND 35 MPH. BRIEF HEAVY RAIN... AND FREQUENT CLOUD TO GROUND
LIGHTNING WILL ACCOMPANY THE STRONGER THUNDERSTORMS.
RIVER LEVELS ACROSS SOUTHWEST MICHIGAN ARE RUNNING HIGH
DUE TO THE RECENT HEAVY RAIN. PLEASE REFER TO RIVER FLOOD WARNINGS
AND STATEMENTS FOR THE LATEST SPECIFIC INFORMATION ON INDIVIDUAL
FORECAST POINTS ALONG THE RIVERS. THE RAINFALL TODAY IS NOT
EXPECTED TO BE ENOUGH TO RESULT IN ADDITIONAL SIGNIFICANT FLOODING
PROBLEMS.
DISCUSSION...A STRONG COLD FRONT WILL MOVE ACROSS LOWER MICHIGAN
LATE THIS AFTERNOON INTO EARLY THIS EVENING. AS THE SURGE OF MOIST
AIR AHEAD OF THE SYSTEM MOVES INTO LOWER MICHIGAN THIS MORNING...
THERE WILL BE A PERIOD OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WITH THE LEADING
EDGE OF THE MOISTURE SURGE... MOSTLY BEFORE 1000 AM. THE
POTENTIALLY SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ASSOCIATED WITH THE COLD FRONT WILL
TRACK FROM WEST TO EAST THROUGH SOUTHWEST LOWER MICHIGAN DURING THE
AFTERNOON AND EVENING. A MORE STABLE AIRMASS WILL FILTER IN BEHIND
THE FRONT EARLY TONIGHT...ENDING THE PRECIPITATION.
SPOTTER ACTIVATION...SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE REQUIRED
THIS AFTERNOON INTO EARLY THIS EVENING.
...HAZARDOUS WEATHER POTENTIAL OUTLOOK FOR TUESDAY THROUGH
FRIDAY...
AFTER THE STRONG COLD FRONT MOVES LOWER MICHIGAN LATE TODAY...
UNSEASONABLY COLD WEATHER WITH SCATTERED SHOWERS WILL FOLLOW FOR THE
REST OF THIS WEEK. THERE WILL BE ENOUGH INSTABILITY ON THURSDAY AND
FRIDAY AFTERNOON FOR ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS TO DEVELOP ALONG WITH
THE SCATTERED SHOWERS. HIGH TEMPERATURES ARE EXPECTED TO STAY IN
THE 50S FROM TUESDAY THROUGH THURSDAY. THERE SHOULD BE ENOUGH
CLOUDINESS AROUND TO KEEP THE LOW TEMPERATURES ABOVE FREEZING... BUT
THAT WILL HAVE TO BE WATCHED. EVEN SO... LOW TEMPERATURES ARE
EXPECTED TO BE FROM THE MID 30S TO MID 40S WEDNESDAY THROUGH FRIDAY.
WDM/MJS
...UPDATED TO INCREASE THE SLIGHT RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORM AREA
THIS AFTERNOON TO INCLUDE ALL OF SOUTHWEST LOWER MICHIGAN...
Special weather statement, May 21, 11:37 AM EST, 1 hour 38 minutes before
MIZ037>040-043>046-050>052-056>059-064>067-071>074-221100-
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT...UPDATED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAND RAPIDS MI
1237 PM EDT MON MAY 21 2001
...HAZARDOUS WEATHER POTENTIAL STATEMENT FOR THE SOUTHWEST QUARTER OF
LOWER MICHIGAN FOR THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT...
DISPATCHERS PLEASE PASS ALONG THIS INFORMATION TO YOUR EMERGENCY
MANAGERS.
HAZARDS...SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL PRODUCE SOME LOCALLY HEAVY
RAIN THIS AFTERNOON...WITH A FEW LOCATIONS SEEING MORE THAN AN INCH
OF RAIN. GUSTY WINDS AND SMALL HAIL COULD ACCOMPANY THE STRONGEST
STORMS...BUT ANY SEVERE STORMS THAT DO DEVELOP ARE ANTICIPATED TO
REMAIN ISOLATED. THEREFORE...THE REGION IS NO LONGER IN THE SLIGHT
RISK AREA OF SEVERE WEATHER.
RIVER LEVELS ACROSS SOUTHWEST MICHIGAN ARE RUNNING HIGH
DUE TO THE RECENT HEAVY RAIN. PLEASE REFER TO RIVER FLOOD WARNINGS
AND STATEMENTS FOR THE LATEST SPECIFIC INFORMATION ON INDIVIDUAL
FORECAST POINTS ALONG THE RIVERS. THE RAINFALL TODAY IS NOT
EXPECTED TO BE ENOUGH TO RESULT IN ADDITIONAL SIGNIFICANT FLOODING
PROBLEMS.
DISCUSSION...A STRONG COLD FRONT WILL MOVE ACROSS LOWER MICHIGAN
LATE THIS AFTERNOON INTO EARLY THIS EVENING. CLOUDS AHEAD OF THIS
FRONT...WERE LIMITING THE DESTABILIZATION AHEAD IN SOUTHWEST LOWER
MICHIGAN. THUS...WITH MORE CLOUDS THAN ANTICIPATED...THE SEVERE
WEATHER THREAT IS LOWER THIS AFTERNOON THAN EARLIER FORECASTED.
THIS FRONT WILL COLD FRONT WILL TRACK FROM WEST TO EAST ACROSS THE
REGION DURING THE MID TO LATE AFTERNOON HOURS.
SPOTTER ACTIVATION...SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT ANTICIPATED THIS
AFTERNOON OR EVENING.
...HAZARDOUS WEATHER POTENTIAL OUTLOOK FOR TUESDAY THROUGH
FRIDAY...
UNSEASONABLY COLD WEATHER WITH SCATTERED SHOWERS WILL FOLLOW FOR THE
REST OF THIS WEEK. THERE WILL BE ENOUGH INSTABILITY ON THURSDAY AND
FRIDAY AFTERNOON FOR ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS TO DEVELOP ALONG WITH
THE SCATTERED SHOWERS. HIGH TEMPERATURES ARE EXPECTED TO STAY IN
THE 50S FROM TUESDAY THROUGH THURSDAY. THERE SHOULD BE ENOUGH
CLOUDINESS AROUND TO KEEP THE LOW TEMPERATURES ABOVE FREEZING... BUT
THAT WILL HAVE TO BE WATCHED. EVEN SO... LOW TEMPERATURES ARE
EXPECTED TO BE FROM THE MID 30S TO MID 40S WEDNESDAY THROUGH FRIDAY.
MJS
...UPDATED TO INCREASE THE SLIGHT RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORM AREA
THIS AFTERNOON TO INCLUDE ALL OF SOUTHWEST LOWER MICHIGAN...
Tornado, Eaton
- When
- May 21, 1:15 PM EST to 1:45 PM EST
- Where
- Eaton County, Chester
- Rating
- F0
- Path length
- 6 mi
- Path width
- 50 yd
- Property damage
- $300,000
- Crop damage
- $100,000
- Reported by
- NWS STORM SURVEY
- Coordinates
- 42.600, -84.900
A F0 tornado touched down just south of Valley highway and moved north, paralleling Chester road, and ending just north of Gresham highway. The tornado had a path length of 6 miles, a width of 50 yards, and produced maximum estimated wind speeds to 70 m.p.h. The tornado produced tree damage and peeled shingles off the roof of a church. A small airplane was also flipped over.
Tornado, Kalamazoo
- When
- May 21, 1:20 PM EST to 1:25 PM EST
- Where
- Kalamazoo County, Richland
- Rating
- F2
- Path length
- 1 mi
- Path width
- 150 yd
- Property damage
- $500,000
- Crop damage
- $100,000
- Reported by
- NWS STORM SURVEY
- Coordinates
- 42.367, -85.450
A F2 tornado produced maximum estimated wind speeds of 120 to 130 m.p.h. and caused extensive damage 4 miles west of Richland, in Kalamazoo county.The initial damage occurred approximately one third of a mile south of the intersection of C Avenue and 24th street, extending north for about a mile. Extensive tree damage occurred along the tornado's path, and there was structural damage to several homes. One home along the tornado's path was completely destroyed, while several others sustained significant roof and shingle damage. The home that was destroyed lost it's roof, which was carried roughly 75 yards north of the home, and it also lost most of it's interior and exterior walls. The tornado's path length was one mile long with a width of 150 yards.
Tornado, Kent
- When
- May 21, 1:35 PM EST to 1:37 PM EST
- Where
- Kent County, Grandville
- Rating
- F0
- Path length
- 0.6 mi
- Path width
- 50 yd
- Property damage
- $100,000
- Reported by
- NWS STORM SURVEY
- Coordinates
- 42.900, -85.767
A F0 tornado touched down just south of Carlton Park Drive and moved north, ending just north of Chicago Drive. The tornado produced some tree damage and siding was peeled back on one home. The tornado produced maximum estimated wind speeds to 70 m.p.h., with a 0.6 mile path length and path width of 50 yards.
Tornado, Ottawa
- When
- May 21, 1:35 PM EST to 1:36 PM EST
- Where
- Ottawa County, Marne
- Rating
- F0
- Path length
- 0.1 mi
- Path width
- 50 yd
- Property damage
- $50,000
- Reported by
- NWS STORM SURVEY
- Coordinates
- 43.033, -85.833
A F0 tornado produced maximum estimated wind speeds to 65 m.p.h. It's path length was only a tenth of a mile long, with a width of 50 yards. The tornado touched down between 8th avenue and 6 mile road, and produced some tree damage and tore the shingles off one home.
Tornado, Barry
- When
- May 21, 1:50 PM EST to 1:55 PM EST
- Where
- Barry County, Yankee Spgs
- Rating
- F0
- Path length
- 1 mi
- Path width
- 50 yd
- Property damage
- $200,000
- Reported by
- NWS STORM SURVEY
- Coordinates
- 42.617, -85.450
A tornado classified as a F0 produced maximum estimated wind speeds to 65 m.p.h. It had a path length of only a tenth of a mile long, was 75 yards wide, and briefly touched down near Yankee Springs road and M-37. The tornado produces some tree damage, damaged a barn, and a porch was blown from a home.
Tornado, Allegan
- When
- May 21, 1:52 PM EST to 2:02 PM EST
- Where
- Allegan County, Green Lake
- Rating
- F0
- Path length
- 1.5 mi
- Path width
- 50 yd
- Property damage
- $50,000
- Reported by
- NWS STORM SURVEY
- Coordinates
- 42.750, -85.583
A F0 tornado touched down on Round Lake and moved north across the eastern edge of Green Lake, then ending just north of 108th street. The tornado was a F0, producing maximum estimated wind speeds to 70 m.p.h. It was 50 yards wide and had a path length of 1.5 miles. The tornado passed over dozens of homes, but did not produce any structural damage. At the north end of Round Lake, a wooden dock was lifted out of the water and thrown into an area of trees.
Tornado, Clinton
- When
- May 21, 1:55 PM EST to 2:15 PM EST
- Where
- Clinton County, Riley
- Rating
- F1
- Path length
- 4.5 mi
- Path width
- 50 yd
- Property damage
- $300,000
- Crop damage
- $100,000
- Reported by
- NWS STORM SURVEY
- Coordinates
- 42.917, -84.667
A F1 tornado produced maximum estimated wind speeds of 90 m.p.h. in Riley. The tornado began just south of Pratt road and moved north northwest, parallel to Forest Hill road, and ended just south of Parks road. Two sheds were destroyed and a barn was damaged. A shop at an archery range was destroyed and insulation from the shop was carried 3 miles north by the tornado. The tornado had a path length of 4.5 miles and was 50 yards wide.
Tornado, Kent
- When
- May 21, 2:29 PM EST to 2:31 PM EST
- Where
- Kent County, Comstock Park
- Rating
- F1
- Path length
- 0.3 mi
- Path width
- 50 yd
- Property damage
- $200,000
- Reported by
- NWS STORM SURVEY
- Coordinates
- 43.017, -85.567
A tornado touched down near the intersection of I-96 and Leonard streets. It was classified as a F1 tornado, producing maximum estimated wind speeds of 80 m.p.h. It had a path length of only a quarter of a mile, with a width of 50 yards. Roof damage was incurred to an apartment complex, and there was also some tree damage.
Tornado, Ionia
- When
- May 21, 2:30 PM EST to 2:35 PM EST
- Where
- Ionia County, Clarksville
- Rating
- F0
- Path length
- 1 mi
- Path width
- 50 yd
- Property damage
- $100,000
- Crop damage
- $50,000
- Reported by
- NWS STORM SURVEY
- Coordinates
- 42.833, -85.250
A tornado that passed 2 miles northwest of Clarksville cut a silo in half, and lifted the roofs off of two barns. Several trees were also damaged. It was a F0 tornado with a length of one mile and width of 50 yards.
Tornado, Kent
- When
- May 21, 2:40 PM EST to 2:41 PM EST
- Where
- Kent County, Plainfield Hgts
- Rating
- F0
- Path length
- 0.1 mi
- Path width
- 50 yd
- Property damage
- $50,000
- Reported by
- NWS STORM SURVEY
- Coordinates
- 43.033, -85.600
A F0 tornado with maximum estimated wind speeds to 50 m.p.h. produced tree damage and knocked down a cinder block wall. The tornado had a path length of only a tenth of a mile, and a width of 50 yards.
Tornado, Kent
- When
- May 21, 2:50 PM EST to 2:51 PM EST
- Where
- Kent County, Alpine
- Rating
- F0
- Path length
- 0.1 mi
- Path width
- 50 yd
- Property damage
- $75,000
- Reported by
- NWS STORM SURVEY
- Coordinates
- 43.067, -85.683
A F0 tornado touched down very briefly between Alpine avenue and 4 mile road. The tornado was 50 yards wide and had a path length of only a tenth of a mile. Maximum estimated wind speeds of 65 m.p.h. caused some tree damage, and also roof damage to an apartment complex and a supermarket.
Tornado, Gratiot
- When
- May 21, 3:20 PM EST to 3:35 PM EST
- Where
- Gratiot County, Elwell
- Rating
- F1
- Path length
- 3 mi
- Path width
- 40 yd
- Injuries
- 1 direct, 0 indirect
- Property damage
- $150,000
- Reported by
- NWS STORM SURVEY
- Coordinates
- 43.383, -84.750
A man was slightly injured when a shed he was in collapsed, a pickup truck was flipped over, and two building were partially unroofed by a F1 tornado that touched down in Elwell. The tornado produced maximum estimated wind speeds to 110 m.p.h. It had a path length of 3 miles and a width of 40 yards. The tornado touched down just south of Van Buren road, then moved northwest through the town of Elwell, and ended just north of M-46.
Tornado, Gratiot
- When
- May 21, 3:40 PM EST to 3:50 PM EST
- Where
- Gratiot County, Ithaca
- Rating
- F0
- Path length
- 2.5 mi
- Path width
- 50 yd
- Property damage
- $25,000
- Crop damage
- $25,000
- Reported by
- NWS STORM SURVEY
- Coordinates
- 43.283, -84.617
A F0 tornado producing maximum estimated wind speeds to 60 m.p.h. touched down just north of Pierce road, and moved north through downtown Ithaca, ending north of St. Charles street. The tornado had a path length of 2.5 miles and a width of 50 yards. The only damage observed was to trees.
Tornado, Isabella
- When
- May 21, 3:40 PM EST to 4:00 PM EST
- Where
- Isabella County, Shepherd
- Rating
- F1
- Path length
- 4 mi
- Path width
- 40 yd
- Injuries
- 1 direct, 0 indirect
- Property damage
- $150,000
- Reported by
- NWS STORM SURVEY
- Coordinates
- 43.517, -84.683
A F1 tornado with a path length of 4 miles and width of 40 yards produced maximum estimated wind speeds to 80 m.p.h. It touched down just north of Pleasant Valley road and moved north, parallel to Mission road, then ended just north of Wing road. One man was slightly injured when his car was forced off the road by the winds associated with the tornado. A small radio tower was blown down and a barn sustained extensive damage. Metal roofing from the barn was carried more than 100 yards.
Tornado, Clare
- When
- May 21, 4:30 PM EST to 4:31 PM EST
- Where
- Clare County, Browns Corner
- Rating
- F0
- Path length
- 0.1 mi
- Path width
- 30 yd
- Property damage
- $10,000
- Crop damage
- $10,000
- Reported by
- NWS STORM SURVEY
- Coordinates
- 43.917, -84.733
A F0 tornado briefly touched down in Browns Corners. It had a path length of only a tenth of a mile, and a width of 30 yards. The only damage observed was to a few trees.
- 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.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
- Tornadoes and Damaging Wind in Michigan, May 21, 20013 injured · $3.2 million · F2 · 7 events
- Tornadoes and Flash Flooding in Ohio, May 21, 20011 injured · $1.5 million · F2 · 11 events
- Tornado and Flash Flooding in Ohio, May 21 to 22, 2001$836,000 · F1 · 9 events
- Flooding in Iowa, May 21 to 28, 2001$420,000 · 14 events
- Tornadoes and Hail in Texas, May 21, 2001$110,000 · F1 · 10 events
- Tornado and Damaging Winds in West Virginia, May 21, 2001$201,000 · F0 · 12 events
- Dense Fog in Virginia, May 21, 2001$300,000 · 1 event
- Damaging Wind in Mississippi, May 21, 2001$100,000 · 80 kt wind · 1 event
- Lightning Strike in Wisconsin, May 21, 2001$100,000 · 1 event
- Damaging Wind in Kentucky, May 21, 2001$40,000 · 1 event
- Damaging Wind in Tennessee, May 21, 2001$32,000 · 1 event
- Damaging Wind in Tennessee, May 21, 2001$30,000 · 1 event
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: 5251063, 5251062, 5251061, 5251064, 5251065, 5251066, 5251139, 5251140, 5251141, 5251143, 5251142, 5251144, 5251145, 5251199, 5251200.