Severe thunderstorms brought primarily damaging wind gusts to southern portions of the Grand Rapids county warning area. The severe storms developed ahead of a cold front that swept across Michigan during the afternoon and evening hours.
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 episode as NWS GRR wrote it up.
Severe thunderstorms brought primarily damaging wind gusts to southern portions of the Grand Rapids county warning area. The severe storms developed ahead of a cold front that swept across Michigan during the afternoon and evening hours. There were two areas where wind damage was rated EF-0 on the Enhanced Fujita Scale with wind gusts estimated between 65 and 85 mph. The first occurred in the city of Vicksburg in Kalamazoo county and the second occurred in the city of Marshall in Calhoun county. A National Weather Service survey team was able to survey about 80% of the area affected by the severe thunderstorms. The storms also occurred at the very beginning of green-up with most deciduous trees just beginning to bud-out.
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 25, 10:35 AM EST, 1 hour 29 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAND RAPIDS MI 1135 AM EDT SAT APR 25 2009 LATEST UPDATE...SHORT TERM... .SYNOPSIS...(437 AM EDT SAT APR 25 2009) A COLD FRONT WILL DROP THROUGH THE AREA DURING THE DAY TODAY. THIS FRONT WILL BE THE FOCUS FOR SHOWER AND THUNDERSTORM DEVELOPMENT LATER THIS MORNING THROUGH THIS EVENING. A FEW OF THE THUNDERSTORMS COULD BE LOCALLY STRONG TO SEVERE WITH LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS BEING THE BIGGEST THREATS. THE FRONT WILL STALL OUT ALONG THE SOUTHERN MICHIGAN BORDER TONIGHT. WAVES OF LOW PRESSURE WILL RIDE ALONG THE FRONT...AND BRING MORE SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS TO THE AREA. THIS WILL CONTINUE INTO SUNDAY MORNING BEFORE THE FRONT MOVES NORTH OF THE AREA. THE FRONT WILL MOVE BACK INTO THE AREA ON MONDAY...BRINGING MORE SHOWERS AND STORMS TO THE AREA. COOLER WEATHER WILL FOLLOW BEGINNING ON TUESDAY. && .SHORT TERM...(1135 AM EDT SAT APR 25 2009) (TODAY THROUGH MONDAY) COLD FRONT AT 15Z EXTENDS FROM NRN LWR MI SW TO MKE AND IS PRESSING SEWD. THERE IS A SHORTWAVE/VORT LOBE EXTENDING FROM ERN WI SOUTH THROUGH ERN IL AND IS MOVING NE. THE COMBO OF THE FRONT AND THIS WAVE WILL PRODUCE NUMEROUS SHOWERS AND TSTMS THROUGH MID AFTERNOON... THEN THERE MAY BE A LULL TILL TONIGHT AFTER PASSAGE OF THE SHORTWAVE. BEST CHANCE OF SVR WX THIS AFTERNOON APPEARS TO BE SOUTH AND EAST OF GRR WHERE MOSTLY CLR SKIES HAVE ALLOWED FOR GOOD SFC HEATING. CAPES ARE NOW NEAR 1000 J/KG OVER THE SE HALF OF THE CWFA. MAIN THREAT IS DAMAGING WINDS FROM BOWING LINE SEGMENTS ALTHOUGH SOME LARGE HAIL POSSIBLE AS WELL. FRONT WILL SAG BY MID EVENING DOWN INTO THE FAR SRN COUNTIES...AND THEN STALL OUT. SW FLOW ALOFT WILL REMAIN IN TACT...AND WILL SEND SHORT WAVES NORTHEAST ALONG THE FRONT. IT APPEARS THAT MOST AREAS SHOULD SEE RAIN SHOWERS WITH SOME EMBEDDED THUNDER TONIGHT AND INTO SUN MORNING. ELEVATED INSTABILITY REMAINS OVER THE AREA INTO SUNDAY MORNING SUPPORTING THUNDER. SEVERE THREAT WILL BE QUITE LOW DUE TO THE ELEVATED NATURE. MAJOR WAVE EJECTING OUT OF THE LONG WAVE TROUGH OVER THE WEST WILL ZIP NORTHEAST ACROSS THE BORDER OF MN AND THE DAKOTAS BY LATER ON SUNDAY. THIS WILL GIVE A PUSH OF THE STALLED OUT FRONT TO THE NORTH ACROSS CENTRAL AND NRN LOWER MICHIGAN. PCPN ONGOING IN THE MORNING SHOULD COME TO AN END. THE MAJORITY OF THE PCPN WILL BE SHOWERS WITH SOME STORMS. MOST OF THIS ACTIVITY SHOULD REMAIN BELOW SEVERE LIMITS. THE BIGGEST THREAT OF SEVERE WEATHER LOOKS TO ACTUALLY BE WEAK SPIN UP TORNADOES AS THE SHEAR NEAR THE WARM FRONT WOULD BE SUFFICIENT. COLD FRONT WILL THEN MOVE INTO THE AREA MON AFTERNOON AND BRING AN END TO MOST OF THE PCPN TO THE CWFA. COOLER WEATHER WILL FOLLOW...HOWEVER TEMPS SHOULD BOTTOM OUT NEAR AVERAGE LEVELS. && .LONG TERM...(437 AM EDT SAT APR 25 2009) (MONDAY NIGHT THROUGH FRIDAY) A SPLIT FLOW PATTERN SEEMS TO DEVELOP BY TUESDAY AS A CLOSED UPPER LOW DEVELOPS OVER THE NW UNITED STATES (OR/WA). THE MODELS ARE IN DECENT AGREEMENT ON THAT DEVELOPMENT. HOWEVER LATER IN THE WEEK ISSUES DEVELOP AS THAT SYSTEM SEEMS TO BE SHEARED OUT. THAT SEEMS QUESTIONABLE TO ME SINCE THAT CLOSED LOW REPRESENTS THE EASTERN CLOSED UPPER LOW OF AN OMAGE BLOCK PATTERN OVER THE EASTERN PACIFIC OCEAN THAT JUST TOUCHES THE WESTERN SECTIONS OF NA. THAT SORT OF PATTERN TENDS TO BE STABLE SO I QUESTION THE QUICKNESS WITH WHICH THE GFS BRINGS THE NEXT SYSTEM INTO THE GREAT LAKES. I WOULD MORE SO BELIEVE ANYTHING THAT COMES OUT OF THAT WILL TRACK SOUTH OF MICHIGAN ACTUALLY. AS A RESULT... I DID NOT CHANGE THE GRIDS MUCH EXCEPT TO MATCH NEARBY OFFICES A LITTLE BETTER. && .AVIATION...(742 AM EDT SAT APR 25 2009) ONE COMPLEX OF THUNDERSTORMS HAS JUST EXITED THE CWA (11Z). MEANWHILE ANOTHER SHORTWAVE...WITH ITS ASSOCIATED LOW LEVEL JET...SURFACE LOW OVER EASTERN WI AND UPPER DIVERGENCE WILL BE MOVING INTO THE CWA BY 14Z. THAT WILL SET OFF ANOTHER ROUND THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS THE CWA. AT FIRST IT WILL BE NORTH OF INTERSTATE 96 BUT WAS THE FRONT SAGS SOUTH SO WILL THE CONVECTION. AS THE FRONT PASSES THE TAF SITES THIS EVENING IFR CIGS AND MVFR VIS WILL PREVAIL. I PUT THUNDERSTORMS IN THE TAF FORECAST FOR A FEW HOURS JUST AHEAD OF THE PASSAGE OF THE COLD FRONT. I EXPECT VFR CIGS/VIS MOST TAF SITES THROUGH MOST OF THE DAY TIME HOURS OF TODAY. WINDS WILL BE GUSTY FROM THE SOUTHWEST TOO. && .MARINE...(437 AM EDT SAT APR 25 2009) GLERL OBS AT MUSKEGON...SOUTH HAVEN...AND BIG SABLE POINT ALL CONTINUE TO SHOW SOUTH TO SOUTHWEST WINDS UP TO 30 KNOTS OCCURRING EARLY THIS MORNING. WINDS SHOULD BEGIN TO DIMINISH A LITTLE WITHIN THE NEXT FEW HOURS AS LOW LEVEL JET OVERHEAD WILL DIMINISH. POTENTIAL REMAINS THROUGH THE DAY FOR 15 TO 25 KNOTS...SO WE WILL MAINTAIN THE ADVISORY THROUGH 00Z TONIGHT. AFTER THAT WE HEAD INTO A RELATIVE LULL WITH NORTHEAST WINDS BEHIND THE FRONT. WINDS WILL BECOME SOUTHERLY AS THE WARM FRONT MOVES NORTH LATE ON SUN. WE COULD BE LOOKING AT SOME STRONGER WINDS ONCE AGAIN SUN NIGHT AND MONDAY WITH MORE HEADLINES POSSIBLE. && .HYDROLOGY...(437 AM EDT SAT APR 25 2009) SOME URBAN AND SMALL STREAM FLOODING IS POSSIBLE WITH CONVECTION OVER THE NEXT FEW DAYS. HOWEVER NOT ANTICIPATING ANY MAJOR FLOODING ISSUES SINCE THE SHOWERS AND STORMS WILL BE COMING IN WAVES. TOTAL QPF AMOUNTS WILL PROBABLY EXCEED ONE INCH BY MONDAY NIGHT... WITH LOCALIZED TWO PLUS INCHES. && .GRR WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... MI...NONE. LM...SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IN EFFECT THROUGH 00Z SUN FOR THE ENTIRE NEARSHORE FROM ST. JOE TO MANISTEE. && SYNOPSIS: NJJ SHORT TERM: NJJ/MEADE LONG TERM: WDM AVIATION: WDM MARINE: NJJ HYDROLOGY: MEADE/NJJ
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAND RAPIDS MI 1123 PM EDT SAT APR 25 2009 MIZ037>040-043>046-050>052-056>059-064>067-071>074-260945- MASON-LAKE-OSCEOLA-CLARE-OCEANA-NEWAYGO-MECOSTA-ISABELLA-MUSKEGON- MONTCALM-GRATIOT-OTTAWA-KENT-IONIA-CLINTON-ALLEGAN-BARRY-EATON- INGHAM-VAN BUREN-KALAMAZOO-CALHOUN-JACKSON- 1123 PM EDT SAT APR 25 2009 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF SOUTHWEST LOWER MICHIGAN. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT A SLIGHT RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS EXISTS THROUGH EARLY EVENING. THE MAIN THREATS ARE DAMAGING WINDS AND LARGE HAIL. THUNDERSTORM MOVEMENT WILL BE EAST NORTHEAST AT 35 TO 45 MPH. THE SEVERE WEATHER THREAT WILL END BY 8 PM OR POSSIBLY EARLIER WITH THE PASSAGE OF A COLD FRONT. ADDITIONAL SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL OCCUR TONIGHT WITH LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL POSSIBLE. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY THE THREAT FOR THUNDERSTORMS WILL LIFT NORTHWARD DURING THE DAY SUNDAY AS A WARM FRONT PUSHES THE AREA OF STORMS NORTH TOWARD ROUTE 10 BY EVENING. THESE STORMS ARE NOT EXPECTED TO BE SEVERE AT THIS TIME. ON MONDAY A COLD FRONT WILL PUSH EAST ACROSS THE AREA LATE IN THE DAY AND BRING THE RISK OF STRONG TO SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS. THURSDAY AND FRIDAY ANOTHER STORM SYSTEM WILL BRING BACK THE THREAT FOR THUNDERSTORMS. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL BE NEEDED TODAY. LMZ844>849-260945- ST JOSEPH TO SOUTH HAVEN MI-SOUTH HAVEN TO HOLLAND MI- HOLLAND TO GRAND HAVEN MI-GRAND HAVEN TO WHITEHALL MI- WHITEHALL TO PENTWATER MI-PENTWATER TO MANISTEE MI- 1123 PM EDT SAT APR 25 2009 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF SOUTHWEST LOWER MICHIGAN. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT CONDITIONS HAZARDOUS FOR SMALL WATER CRAFT ARE EXPECTED THROUGH THIS EVENING DUE TO STRONG SOUTHWEST WINDS THAT WILL VEER TO THE NORTHWEST. IN ADDITION NUMEROUS THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED THIS AFTERNOON INTO THE EARLY EVENING. LOCALLY HIGH WINDS AND WAVES ARE POSSIBLE IN AND NEAR THE THUNDERSTORMS. AREAS OF FOG ARE POSSIBLE AS WELL DUE TO WARM AIR MOVING OVER THE COLD LAKE. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY THE AREA OF THUNDERSTORMS WILL LIFT BACK NORTH ACROSS THE NEAR SHORE WATERS SUNDAY. THE THREAT WILL MOSTLY BE NORTH OF LITTLE SABLE POINT BY EVENING. GUSTY WINDS AND INCREASED WAVES HEIGHTS ARE THE PRIMARY THREAT. ADDITIONAL STORMS ARE EXPECTED WITH THE COLD FRONT MONDAY AFTERNOON INTO THE EVENING. GUSTY WINDS AND HIGH WAVES ARE ONCE AGAIN POSSIBLE. ONCE THE COLD FRONT COMES THROUGH NORTHWEST WINDS WILL BUILD THE WAVE HEIGHTS TO THE POINT WERE THEY WILL BE HAZARDOUS FOR SMALL WATER CRAFT. THESE CONDITIONS WILL SUBSIDE BY TUESDAY EVENING. MORE STORMS ARE POSSIBLE LATER IN THE WEEK. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS POSSIBLE THIS AFTERNOON INTO TONIGHT. MEADE
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAND RAPIDS MI 1054 AM EDT SAT APR 25 2009 MIZ040-045-046-051-251530- CLARE-ISABELLA-MECOSTA-MONTCALM- 1054 AM EDT SAT APR 25 2009 ...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY... AT 1053 AM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A STRONG THUNDERSTORM 13 MILES SOUTHWEST OF WEIDMAN...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 50 MPH. * LOCATIONS IN THE PATH OF THE STORM INCLUDE... WEIDMAN... MOUNT PLEASANT... ROSEBUSH... FARWELL... CLARE... THIS STORM IS CAPABLE OF PRODUCING SMALL HAIL...STRONG WIND GUSTS... OCCASIONAL CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING...AND BRIEF DOWNPOURS. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... GUSTY WINDS MAY CAUSE SMALL BRANCHES TO BE BLOWN DOWN...AND LOOSE OBJECTS TO BLOW AROUND. STAY AWAY FROM HIGH OBJECTS OUTDOORS SUCH AS TREES. SEEK SHELTER IN A STURDY STRUCTURE UNTIL THIS STORM HAS PASSED. && LAT...LON 4354 8461 4339 8512 4354 8526 4407 8461 TIME...MOT...LOC 1454Z 236DEG 44KT 4352 8508 JK
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAND RAPIDS MI
1108 AM EDT SAT APR 25 2009
MIZ038>040-044>046-051-052-056>058-064-065-071-251545-
ALLEGAN-BARRY-CLARE-GRATIOT-IONIA-ISABELLA-KENT-LAKE-MECOSTA-
MONTCALM-NEWAYGO-OSCEOLA-OTTAWA-VAN BUREN-
1108 AM EDT SAT APR 25 2009
...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY...
AT 1106 AM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED
STRONG THUNDERSTORMS ALONG A LINE EXTENDING FROM LUTHER TO REED CITY
TO MORLEY TO ALLEGAN...MOVING EAST AT 45 MPH.
* LOCATIONS IN THE PATH OF THESE STORMS INCLUDE...
REED CITY... BIG RAPIDS... GRAND RAPIDS...
ALLEGAN... HOWARD CITY... GREENVILLE...
MOUNT PLEASANT... IONIA... HARRISON...
CLARE... HASTINGS...
THESE STORMS ARE CAPABLE OF PRODUCING STRONG WIND GUSTS TO 50
MPH...OCCASIONAL CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING...AND BRIEF DOWNPOURS.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
GUSTY WINDS MAY CAUSE SMALL BRANCHES TO BE BLOWN DOWN...AND LOOSE
OBJECTS TO BLOW AROUND. STAY AWAY FROM HIGH OBJECTS OUTDOORS SUCH AS
TREES. SEEK SHELTER IN A STURDY STRUCTURE UNTIL THESE STORMS HAVE
PASSED.
&&
LAT...LON 4417 8483 4401 8467 4358 8474 4253 8520
4240 8603 4345 8559 4388 8552 4414 8579
4417 8556
TIME...MOT...LOC 1508Z 257DEG 38KT 4407 8561 4390 8539
4347 8546 4250 8587
JKSPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAND RAPIDS MI 1138 AM EDT SAT APR 25 2009 MIZ071>073-251630- CALHOUN-KALAMAZOO-VAN BUREN- 1138 AM EDT SAT APR 25 2009 ...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY... AT 1136 AM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED STRONG THUNDERSTORMS ALONG A LINE EXTENDING FROM 9 MILES NORTH OF PAW PAW TO 25 MILES SOUTH OF DECATUR...MOVING EAST AT 40 MPH. * LOCATIONS IN THE PATH OF THESE STORMS INCLUDE... DECATUR... BANGOR... PAW PAW... KALAMAZOO... SCHOOLCRAFT... RICHLAND... BATTLE CREEK... THESE STORMS ARE CAPABLE OF PRODUCING SMALL HAIL...STRONG WIND GUSTS TO 50 MPH...OCCASIONAL CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING...AND BRIEF DOWNPOURS. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... GUSTY WINDS MAY CAUSE SMALL BRANCHES TO BE BLOWN DOWN...AND LOOSE OBJECTS TO BLOW AROUND. STAY AWAY FROM HIGH OBJECTS OUTDOORS SUCH AS TREES. SEEK SHELTER IN A STURDY STRUCTURE UNTIL THESE STORMS HAVE PASSED. && LAT...LON 4208 8622 4242 8614 4242 8512 4207 8523 TIME...MOT...LOC 1538Z 267DEG 33KT 4235 8585 4176 8604 JK
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAND RAPIDS MI
1142 AM EDT SAT APR 25 2009
MIZ040-046-051-052-058-059-065-066-251630-
BARRY-CLARE-CLINTON-EATON-GRATIOT-IONIA-ISABELLA-MONTCALM-
1142 AM EDT SAT APR 25 2009
...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY...
AT 1141 AM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED
STRONG THUNDERSTORMS ALONG A LINE EXTENDING FROM 14 MILES NORTHWEST
OF HARRISON TO WEIDMAN TO 9 MILES NORTH OF IONIA TO MIDDLEVILLE...
MOVING EAST AT 50 MPH.
* LOCATIONS IN THE PATH OF THESE STORMS INCLUDE...
IONIA... HASTINGS... MOUNT PLEASANT...
HARRISON... CLARE... ALMA...
ST. JOHNS...
THESE STORMS ARE CAPABLE OF PRODUCING STRONG WIND GUSTS TO 50
MPH...OCCASIONAL CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING...AND BRIEF DOWNPOURS.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
GUSTY WINDS MAY CAUSE SMALL BRANCHES TO BE BLOWN DOWN...AND LOOSE
OBJECTS TO BLOW AROUND. STAY AWAY FROM HIGH OBJECTS OUTDOORS SUCH AS
TREES. SEEK SHELTER IN A STURDY STRUCTURE UNTIL THESE STORMS HAVE
PASSED.
&&
LAT...LON 4348 8461 4347 8437 4301 8436 4277 8458
4277 8461 4272 8462 4260 8555 4267 8555
4277 8546 4277 8531 4293 8531 4311 8516
4347 8509 4417 8509 4417 8461
TIME...MOT...LOC 1542Z 259DEG 43KT 4416 8498 4363 8496
4312 8503 4268 8545
JKSPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAND RAPIDS MI
1230 PM EDT SAT APR 25 2009
MIZ065>067-072>074-251730-
BARRY-CALHOUN-EATON-INGHAM-JACKSON-KALAMAZOO-
1230 PM EDT SAT APR 25 2009
...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY...
AT 1228 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED
STRONG THUNDERSTORMS ALONG A LINE EXTENDING FROM 11 MILES SOUTHWEST
OF NASHVILLE TO 6 MILES SOUTHEAST OF BATTLE CREEK TO 19 MILES SOUTH
OF TEKONSHA...MOVING EAST AT 40 MPH.
* LOCATIONS IN THE PATH OF THESE STORMS INCLUDE...
RICHLAND... BATTLE CREEK... TEKONSHA...
MARSHALL... BELLEVUE... NASHVILLE...
ALBION... CHARLOTTE... SPRINGPORT...
CONCORD... EATON RAPIDS... LESLIE...
JACKSON...
THESE STORMS ARE CAPABLE OF PRODUCING SMALL HAIL...STRONG WIND
GUSTS TO 55 MPH...OCCASIONAL CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING...AND BRIEF
DOWNPOURS. A 53 MPH WIND GUST WAS REPORTED AT KALAMAZOO AT 1210 PM.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
GUSTY WINDS MAY CAUSE SMALL BRANCHES TO BE BLOWN DOWN...AND LOOSE
OBJECTS TO BLOW AROUND. STAY AWAY FROM HIGH OBJECTS OUTDOORS SUCH AS
TREES. SEEK SHELTER IN A STURDY STRUCTURE UNTIL THESE STORMS HAVE
PASSED.
&&
LAT...LON 4254 8553 4274 8455 4241 8436 4207 8436
4207 8535
TIME...MOT...LOC 1629Z 255DEG 36KT 4251 8525 4226 8511
4183 8510
JKSPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAND RAPIDS MI
1258 PM EDT SAT APR 25 2009
MIZ056-057-064-251800-
ALLEGAN-KENT-OTTAWA-
1258 PM EDT SAT APR 25 2009
...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY...
AT 1256 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
STRONG THUNDERSTORM 6 MILES SOUTHWEST OF SAUGATUCK...MOVING NORTHEAST
AT 25 MPH.
* LOCATIONS IN THE PATH OF THE STORM INCLUDE...
SAUGATUCK... FENNVILLE... HUDSONVILLE...
THIS STORM IS CAPABLE OF PRODUCING SMALL HAIL...STRONG WIND GUSTS...
OCCASIONAL CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING...AND BRIEF DOWNPOURS.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
GUSTY WINDS MAY CAUSE SMALL BRANCHES TO BE BLOWN DOWN...AND LOOSE
OBJECTS TO BLOW AROUND. STAY AWAY FROM HIGH OBJECTS OUTDOORS SUCH AS
TREES. SEEK SHELTER IN A STURDY STRUCTURE UNTIL THIS STORM HAS
PASSED.
A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT THROUGH 4:00 PM EDT.
&&
LAT...LON 4255 8625 4257 8624 4265 8624 4267 8623
4268 8622 4271 8622 4296 8571 4275 8555
4272 8555 4247 8627
TIME...MOT...LOC 1657Z 240DEG 24KT 4258 8625
JKThe Detroit radar (KDTX), 95 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 17:04 UTC.
8 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
A wind gust of 61 mph was measured by the ASOS at the Jackson County Airport. An NWS storm survey team did not find any damage beyond a few small branches down in areas adjacent to the airport or in the city of Jackson itself.
A large tree fell on utility wires snapping six utility poles. The tree was partially rotten. A 46 knot wind gust was measured with the same storm at the Lansing Airport located 3 miles north-northwest of the damage. An NWS Survey team also noted isolated tree damage 4 miles south along Interstate 96 between mile markers 101 and 104.
Wind damage began 4.5 miles southwest of Vicksburg and continued 8.5 miles to the northeast. The greatest width of the damage was approximately 2.5 miles and was widest towards the end of the damage swath. Primary damage was to trees with scattered large limbs and isolated trees uprooted. The greatest concentration of damage, rated EF-0, occurred just southwest of downtown Vicksburg. In this area an irrigation pivot was blown over and several 25 pound 1 foot by 3 foot plastic packing trays were lofted over a one to two story industrial building and blown up to 200 yards downwind. Several large trees were also uprooted in downtown Vicksburg near the intersection of S. Kalamazoo and Prairie Streets. The trees knocked down several wires on residential streets.
Damage began 4.5 miles west-southwest of Marshall and continued east-northeast for a total of 13 miles. The damage swath was roughly two miles wide. The greatest concentration occurred one to three miles west-southwest of town where numerous trees were knocked down and about 10 sections of an irrigation pivot were blown over. Other damage included a few shingles blown off a house and a contruction trailer blown over. An NWS survey team estimated peak wind gusts of 65.0 knots. The concentration of damage was much less from Marshall to the east-northeast where 50 knot winds were estimated based on widely scattered tree damage.
Widely scattered tree damage was observed from about one mile west of Parma to 18 miles east-northeast of Parma. The swath was 2 to 3 miles wide. Other than tree damage a highway billboard was blown down on Interstate-94 just outside of Parma. Several eyewitnesses were interviewed to confirm that damage was from second storm.
Roughly a 1 by 2 mile area of widely scattered tree damage was observed about two miles west-northwest of Tompkins.
Widely scattered tree damage began 1.75 miles east-northeast of Onondaga and continued just north of due east into Leslie. There was a successive failure of 32 power poles on a north-south powerline about 1 mile west of Leslie. Speaking with an engineer on the scene, his thought was that the wooden poles were not quite robust enough to handle the weight of the 6 conductors and that the failure was preceeded by one or two poles that had started to lean due to wet ground conditions over the past several months. The thunderstorm wind gust was then enough to overload one of the leaning poles causing it to snap near its base. The falling pole then pulled on adjacent poles initiating a cascading failure both north and south of the initial failure. The cascading failure was witnessed by a nearby resident. The wooden poles were being replaced with steel towers.
Scattered to widely scattered tree damage occurred including occasional uprooted trees along a 9 mile stretch from 2 miles west-southwest of Pleasant Lake to 2.5 miles southwest of Stockbridge. The damage swath was 4 to 6 miles wide. A measured 53 knot gust with pea sized hail occurred just north of Batteese Lake. The damage crossed into extreme southeast Ingham County at 42.4284 north latitude and 84.2094 west longitude. The damage continued east-northeast to at least the Livingston County line.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Michigan in 2009Every state in 2009This day in weather historyWarnings in Michigan, April 2009
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: 161863, 164902, 161846, 164903, 164904, 164905, 164906, 164907.