7 thunderstorm wind, 1 hail, as filed by the National Weather Service.
Every event with a place to put it. Tap one for its entry below.
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.
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 Jul 21, 1:35 PM EST, 2 hours 29 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAND RAPIDS MI 235 PM EDT WED JUL 21 2004 .SHORT TERM... TIMING AND DEVELOPMENT OF ANY SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING IS THE MAIN PROBLEM FOR THE SHORT TERM FORECAST. STORMS THAT DO DEVELOP WILL HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO PRODUCE WINDS TO 70 MPH. ETA WINDS THIS AM DID NOT INITIALIZE TOO WELL AND GFS SEEMED TO HAVE A BETTER HANDLE ON MID LEVEL WINDS GIVING 30 TO 40 KNOTS. MAIN INHIBITOR EARLY THIS AFTERNOON WAS A LACK OF STEEP LAPSE RATES IN THE MID LEVELS TO KEEP WEAK UPDRAFTS IN THE LOW LEVEL MOVING UP. EXPECT THAT THIS LACK OF ENERGY WILL BE OVERCOME BY THE SHORT WAVE ENERGY LATER THIS AFTERNOON INTO THE EVENING HOURS. FLY IN THE OINTMENT ON THIS WILL BE IF THE WARM LAYER...MENTIONED ON 18Z SPC MCD..H850 - H7 ON THE 18Z DAVENPORT WORKS ITS WAY EAST. APX AND DTX 18Z SOUNDINGS DID NOT HAVE THE WARM LAYER SO STILL A LARGE ARE OF UNSTABLE AIR WITH LIS AROUND -7 IN MI TO WORK WITH AND NO CINH. WILL STILL HAVE TO WAIT TO SEE HOW THE SHORT WAVE INTERACTS WITH THE UNSTABLE ENVIRONMENT LATER THIS AFTERNOON AND EVE. SPC UPGRADED EXTREME SRN MI TO MDT RISK AT 18Z WHICH LOOKS LIKE A GOOD CALL ATTM. ADDITIONAL THREAT FROM STORMS THIS AFTN AND EVE WILL BE HEAVY RAIN WITH TROPICAL DEW POINTS AT THE SURFACE AND A K INDEX OF 35. EXPECT THAT PERIODS OF BRIEF LOCALLY HEAVY RAIN WILL ALSO BE A CONSIDERATION IN THE FORECAST THIS EVENING. THE GOOD NEWS IS THAT THE STORMS SHOULD BE MOVING AROUND 30 KNOTS AND THEREFORE NOT LAY DOWN A WHOLE LOT OF RAIN IN ANY ONE AREA. IT LOOKS LIKE THE MAIN ACTIVITY WILL BE BETWEEN 6PM AND MIDNIGHT FOR THE GRR CWA. TOMORROW THE ACTUAL COLD FRONT MOVES NW TO SE ACROSS THE AREA EXITING THE AREA IN MID AFTERNOON. THINGS WILL BE DRYING OUT AGAIN BUT HAVE LEFT SLGT CHC POPS IN THE N AND CHC POPS IN THE SOUTH FOR THE POSSIBILITY OF ANY SHOWERS AND TSTMS THAT DO DEVELOP ALONG THE FRONT. FRIDAY AND SATURDAY KEEP N WINDS WITH LOWER TEMPS AND DEW POINTS MOVING INTO THE AREA AND NO RAIN. .LONG TERM... THE SAT NIGHT THROUGH MON TIME FRAME CONTINUES TO LOOK FAIRLY QUIET AROUND THE GREAT LAKES AS SFC RIDGING IS STILL EXPECTED TO BE NEARBY/OVERHEAD. WITH THE SFC RIDGE NEARBY...LOW TEMPS WILL STILL BE FAIRLY COOL ON SAT NIGHT AS LOWS WILL BE MAINLY IN THE 50S WITH A FEW 40S POSSIBLE IN THE NORMALLY COOLER AREAS. HIGHS ON SUN WILL START TO REBOUND AS COMPARED TO FRI AND SAT. MID TO UPPER 70S CAN BE EXPECTED SUN AND TEMPS WILL BE SLIGHTLY WARMER ON MON. TUE LOOKS AS IF IT MIGHT NOT BE AS DRY AS PREVIOUSLY THOUGHT. THE UPPER TROUGH IN PLACE TO OUR WEST OVER THE WEEKEND AND EARLY NEXT WEEK TRIES TO CLOSE OFF AND MOVE INTO THE GREAT LAKES ON TUE. THE 00Z RUNS OF THE GFS AND ECMWF BRING A CHC OF SOME PCPN INTO THE AREA FOR TUE WITH THIS SYSTEM. WE WILL ADD A CHC OF SHOWERS/STORMS IN FOR TUE AND LEAVE WED DRY AS THE SYSTEM SHOULD BE EAST BY THEN. && .GRR WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...NONE. && MWH NJJ
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...UPDATED NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAND RAPIDS MI 155 PM EDT WED JUL 21 2004 MIZ037>040-043>046-050>052-056>059-064>067-071>074-221000- ALLEGAN-BARRY-CALHOUN-CLARE-CLINTON-EATON-GRATIOT-INGHAM-IONIA- ISABELLA-JACKSON-KALAMAZOO-KENT-LAKE-MASON-MECOSTA-MONTCALM-MUSKEGON- NEWAYGO-OCEANA-OSCEOLA-OTTAWA-VAN BUREN- 155 PM EDT WED JUL 21 2004 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF SOUTHWEST LOWER MICHIGAN. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TO MOVE INTO THE AREA THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT AS AN UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCE MOVES EAST ACROSS THE GREAT LAKES REGION AND INTERACTS WITH A MOIST AND UNSTABLE AIR MASS. AREAS ALONG AND SOUTH OF INTERSTATE 96 ARE UNDER A MODERATE RISK OF SEVERE WEATHER. AREAS NORTH OF INTERSTATE 96 ARE UNDER A SLIGHT RISK. DAMAGING WINDS WILL BE THE MAIN THREAT WITH LARGE HAIL POSSIBLE. THE MAIN THREAT OF SEVERE WEATHER WILL BE BETWEEN 4 PM AND MIDNIGHT. STORM MOTION WILL BE TOWARD THE EAST AT AROUND 20 MPH. HEAT INDICES MAY EXCEED 90 DEGREES THIS AFTERNOON INLAND FROM LAKE MICHIGAN. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY. A COLD FRONT PUSHING INTO THE REGION FROM THE NORTH ON THURSDAY AND THURSDAY NIGHT COULD GENERATE A FEW SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS. THE STORM PREDICTION CENTER HAS PLACED THE AREA SOUTH OF A LINE FROM WHITEHALL TO MOUNT PLEASANT IN THE SLIGHT RISK FOR SEVERE WEATHER. HEAT INDICES MAY EXCEED 90 DEGREES AGAIN ON THURSDAY. TRANQUIL WEATHER IS EXPECTED FRIDAY THROUGH TUESDAY. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE NEEDED TODAY...TONIGHT...AND THURSDAY. MEADE NJJ
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAND RAPIDS MI
347 PM EDT WED JUL 21 2004
MIZ037>040-043>046-050>052-056>059-064>067-071>074-220200-
ALLEGAN-BARRY-CALHOUN-CLARE-CLINTON-EATON-GRATIOT-INGHAM-IONIA-
ISABELLA-JACKSON-KALAMAZOO-KENT-LAKE-MASON-MECOSTA-MONTCALM-MUSKEGON-
NEWAYGO-OCEANA-OSCEOLA-OTTAWA-VAN BUREN-
347 PM EDT WED JUL 21 2004
THE STORM PREDICTION CENTER HAS ISSUED A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH
FOR PORTIONS OF THE SOUTHWEST QUARTER OF LOWER MICHIGAN EFFECTIVE
UNTIL 1000 PM EDT WEDNESDAY EVENING. THIS WATCH INCLUDES THE
FOLLOWING COUNTIES
IN WEST CENTRAL MICHIGAN
MASON...LAKE...OCEANA...NEWAYGO AND MUSKEGON
IN CENTRAL MICHIGAN
OSCEOLA...CLARE...ISABELLA...MECOSTA...MONTCALM AND GRATIOT
IN SOUTHWEST MICHIGAN
KENT...ALLEGAN...BARRY...KALAMAZOO...VAN BUREN AND OTTAWA
IN SOUTH CENTRAL MICHIGAN
IONIA...CLINTON...INGHAM...EATON...JACKSON AND CALHOUN
THIS WATCH INCLUDES THE ADJOINING COASTAL WATERS OF AFFECTED
LAKESHORE COUNTIES.
A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH MEANS THAT CONDITIONS ARE FAVORABLE FOR
THE DEVELOPMENT OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS IN AND NEAR THE WATCH AREA.
REMEMBER...SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS PRODUCE WIND GUSTS IN EXCESS OF 58
MPH AND/OR HAIL THREE-QUARTERS OF AN INCH IN DIAMETER OR GREATER. IF
YOU LIVE IN OR NEAR THE WATCH AREA YOU SHOULD REMAIN ALERT TO RAPIDLY
CHANGING WEATHER CONDITIONS. STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR THE
LOCAL NEWS OUTLETS FOR THE LATEST UPDATES AND POSSIBLE WARNINGS.
BEACHLERThe Grand Rapids radar (KGRR), 33 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 21:06 UTC.
7 thunderstorm wind, 1 hail. Local standard time, as filed.
An emergency manager four miles east of Zeeland reported a 60 m.p.h. wind gust.
Three quarters inch diameter hail was reported three miles southwest of Sparta. A wind gust to 60 m.p.h. was reported two miles southwest of Comstock Park.
Several trees were blown down across Kent county.
Numerous trees were blown down in and near Gowen.
Numerous power lines were blown down in Wayland.
Law enforcement reported that numerous trees were blown down two miles east of Smyrna and five miles south of Orleans.
Trained spotters reported several trees were blown down in Mt. Pleasant.
The public reported several trees were blown down two miles north of Hickory Corners.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Michigan in 2004Every state in 2004This day in weather historyWarnings in Michigan, July 2004
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: 5414447, 5414448, 5414449, 5414450, 5414451, 5414452, 5414453, 5413973.