A hot and moist air mass was in place across southern Lower Michigan with temperatures in the 90s and dewpoints in the 70s. Strong wind fields in the lower levels were able to reach the ground in several locations causing damage.
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 IWX wrote it up.
A hot and moist air mass was in place across southern Lower Michigan with temperatures in the 90s and dewpoints in the 70s. Strong wind fields in the lower levels were able to reach the ground in several locations causing damage.
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 Northern Indiana wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Jul 23, 6:26 PM EST, 14 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NORTHERN INDIANA 726 PM EDT FRI JUL 23 2010 .UPDATE... MAIN LINE OF STORMS RACING EAST ACROSS ILLINOIS WITH OUTFLOW BOUNDARY NOW OUT AHEAD OF IT. THIS MAY RESULT IN A WEAKENING OF THE LINE BUT SO FAR NO OVERALL EFFECTS NOTED. OLD OUTFLOW BOUNDARY FROM EARLIER TODAY ACROSS THE FAR NORTH NOW RAPIDLY LIGHTING UP WITH CONVECTION POPPING ALONG IT. SETUP COULD UNFOLD FOR SEVERAL ROUNDS OF SHOWERS AND STORMS TO DEVELOP TO THE WEST AND TRACK EAST THROUGH THIS EVENING AND MUCH OF THE NIGHT. WHILE STILL SOME QUESTION IF THIS UNFOLDS...ENOUGH CONCERN AND CONFIDENCE TO HOIST FLASH FLOOD WATCH FOR NORTHERN 2 TIERS OF COUNTIES WITH POTENTIAL EXPANSION SOUTH OVER TIME DEPENDING ON TRENDS. ONLY GRID UPDATE OUTSIDE OF THE WATCH WAS TO ADD MENTION OF HEAVY RAINFALL TO THE LIKELY POPS AREA. && .AVIATION... FOCUS WILL BE ON ONE OR MORE ROUND OF STORMS AT THE TAF SITES OVER THE NEXT 24 HOURS. CONVECTION RAPIDLY FIRING NORTH NORTH OF THE AIRPORT MAY IMPACT THE SITE OVER THE NEXT HOUR OR SO. MAIN LINE OF STORMS RACING EAST ACROSS NE ILLINOIS WILL MOVE IN AFTER 1Z. OUTSIDE OF 6Z...NO DETAILS ADDED AS MULTI-FACETED EVENT COULD UNFOLD REQUIRING AMENDMENTS. && .PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 332 PM EDT FRI JUL 23 2010/ SHORT TERM... TONIGHT THROUGH SATURDAY NIGHT... LATEST VIS SAT LOOP DEPICTS CU FIELD EXTENDING ACROSS THE AREA DELINEATING BOUNDARY LAID OUT FROM EARLY MORNING CONVECTION TO THE NORTH. KIWX RADAR ALSO INDICATING ADDL OUTFLOW BOUNDARY THAT INITIALLY PUSHED DOWN TO IN/MI LINE AND NOW BEGINNING TO LIFT BACK TO THE NORTH...MOST NOTABLE OVER SOUTHERN BERRIEN...CASS...AND ST JOSEPH COUNTIES. PRESENCE OF THESE BOUNDARIES WARRANTS CONTINUATION OF CHANCE POPS LATE AFTERNOON INTO TONIGHT DESPITE OVERALL LACK OF LARGER SCALE FORCING AS SFC ANALYSIS PLACES SYNOPTIC BOUNDARY WELL TO THE NORTH AND WATER VAPOR IMAGERY SHOWING UPPER LEVEL RIDGING ANCHORED OVER THE SOUTHERN GREAT LAKES/OHIO VALLEY WITH LATEST RUC ANALYSIS SHOWING WEAK SHORT WAVES EMBEDDED IN ZONAL FLOW MOVING ACROSS CENTRAL/NORTHERN GREAT LAKES AND UPPER JET DYNAMICS EVEN FURTHER NORTH. LOW CONFIDENCE...CONVECTIVE DRIVEN PATTERN FAVORS KEEPING POPS IN CHANCE RANGE THROUGH THE SHORT TERM PERIOD EVEN AS SFC BOUNDARY SLOWLY MOVES THROUGH THE AREA SAT NITE. LOCAL WRF MODEL INDICATING A SERIES OF FRONTAL WAVES TO MOVE ALONG BOUNDARY SATURDAY AND SERVE AS FOCUS FOR CONVECTION. TIMING AND PLACEMENT OF BOUNDARY WILL LIKELY DEPEND ON HOW NOCTURNAL CONVECTION AND RESULTING MESOSCALE BOUNDARY INFLUENCES LARGER SCALE FEATURES...BUT ATTM MODEL TRENDS FAVOR MOST CONVECTION REMAINING NORTH OF OUR AREA UNTIL EVENTUAL FRONTAL PASSAGE SATURDAY NIGHT. EXPECT THIS TO ALLOW HIGHS TO ONCE AGAIN REACH 90-95 RANGE AND RESULT IN A FEW HOURS OF AFTERNOON HEAT INDICES NEAR 100...BUT WITH SHORT DURATION AND BORDERLINE CRITERIA WILL HOLD OFF ON ADV ATTM. VERY UNSTABLE WARM SECTOR SATURDAY AFTN WILL BRING POTENTIAL FOR SVR STORMS IF CONVECTION IS ABLE TO DEVELOP AND ORGANIZE...BUT PW EXCEEDING 2.5 INCHES JUST AHEAD OF THE FRONT AND LACK OF STRONG UPPER LEVEL FORCING COULD RESULT IN LOW CENTROID/HVY RAIN PRODUCING STORMS.&& LONG TERM... LONG WAVE PATTERN REMAINS NEARLY UNCHANGED THROUGH THE PERIOD WITH FLAT UPPER RIDGE ACROSS THE SOUTHERN CONUS AND WESTERLIES SKIMMING OUR AREA. A SLIGHT TREND TOWARD A LITTLE MORE AMPLITUDE IN THE LONG WAVE PATTERN MAY BE IN STORE LATE IN THE PERIOD WITH ANOTHER WARM UP TOWARD THE MIDDLE TO END OF NEXT WEEK. HIGH PRESSURE SHOULD BE BUILDING INTO THE REGION ON SUNDAY AS COLD FRONT EXITS THE AREA. FRONT MAY BE CLOSE ENOUGH TO SOUTHERN AREAS EARLY SUNDAY FOR SOME RESIDUAL SHOWERS EARLY IN THE DAY BUT AT THIS POINT NO NEED TO INTRODUCE ANY POPS GIVEN MODEL CONSENSUS ON MOVING FRONT WELL SOUTH DURING THE DAY AND DRIER AIR INVADING. SHOULD SEE WELCOME RELIEF TO HEAT AND HUMIDITY WITH DEWPOINTS DROPPING INTO LOWER 60S AND EVEN UPPER 50S POSSIBLE SUNDAY NIGHT. TEMPERATURES ON SUNDAY SHOULD BE NEAR NORMAL IN THE LOWER TO MIDDLE 80S. HIGH PRESSURE STILL IN CONTROL ON MONDAY WITH TEMPS AND DEWPOINTS JUST A FEW DEGREES WARMER. INCREASING MOISTURE LOOKS TO SURGE NORTH LATE MONDAY NIGHT INTO TUESDAY AS YET ANOTHER WARM FRONT LOOKS TO WORK NORTH. IN A PATTERN VERY SIMILAR TO THIS PAST WEEK...DEEPER MOISTURE AND INSTABILITY WILL INCREASE ACROSS OUR AREA BUT NO GOOD SIGN OF STRONG FORCING ALOFT. CURRENT GRIDS HAVE POPS IN FOR WED AND THU AND THIS LOOKS REASONABLE WITH INCREASED INSTABILITY AND MOISTURE BUT WEAK AND UNCERTAIN SYNOPTIC FORCING. THE LONG WAVE PATTERN LOOKS TO BECOME A BIT MORE AMPLIFIED BY FRIDAY WITH EAST COAST TROUGH AND WESTERN CONUS RIDGE DEEPENING. THIS WOULD HELP DRIVE A COLD FRONT THROUGH THE AREA ON FRIDAY WITH CHANCES FOR TSRA. CONVECTIVE PATTERN VERY UNCERTAIN THIS TIME OF YEAR BUT FOR COLLABORATION AND BASED ON SYNOPTIC IDEA OF A FRONTAL BOUNDARY HAVE INTRODUCED POPS INTO DAY 7 BUT KEPT AT LOW CHANCE. TEMPS THROUGH THIS PERIOD WILL BE WARM AGAIN WITH HIGHS MID WEEK BACK TOWARD 90 UNDER INCREASING HEIGHTS. CLOUDS FROM CONVECTIVE DEBRIS AND ANY MCS FORMATION WARRANTS CONTINUED CONSERVATIVE FORECAST OF UPPER 80S TO AROUND 90. THIS HAS WORKED OUT WELL LAST COUPLE WEEKS AS EXTREME HIGHS FROM FULLY MIXED ATMOSPHERE HAVE BEEN DIFFICULT TO OBTAIN WITH CONVECTIVE DEBRIS. AVIATION...18Z TAFS... GUSTY SOUTHWEST WINDS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE THIS AFTERNOON AT BOTH TAF SITES AS BUFKIT FCST SOUNDINGS INDICATE SUPPORT FOR 25KT WIND GUSTS THROUGH 20-21Z. OTHERWISE WILL GO WITH VFR CONDITIONS AND CB MENTION AT BOTH SITES AS BEST FOCUS FOR CONVECTION SETTING UP NORTH OF THE AREA THIS AFTERNOON AND LOW CONFIDENCE ON SOUTHWARD PROPAGATION INTO OUR AREA THIS EVENING AND OVERNIGHT. FRONTAL BOUNDARY TO APPROACH THE AREA TOWARD THE END OF THIS TAF CYCLE AND MAY NEED TO BRING IN MENTION OF WIND SHIFT AT SBN NEXT ISSUANCE. && .IWX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... IN...FLASH FLOOD WATCH THROUGH SATURDAY MORNING FOR INZ003>007. MI...FLASH FLOOD WATCH THROUGH SATURDAY MORNING FOR MIZ077>081. OH...FLASH FLOOD WATCH THROUGH SATURDAY MORNING FOR OHZ001-002. LM...NONE. && SHORT TERM...LOGSDON LONG TERM...LASHLEY AVIATION...T UPDATE...FISHER
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NORTHERN INDIANA 440 AM EDT FRI JUL 23 2010 INZ003>009-012>018-020-022>027-032>034-MIZ077>081-OHZ001-002-004-005- 015-016-024-025-240845- LA PORTE-ST. JOSEPH IN-ELKHART-LAGRANGE-STEUBEN-NOBLE-DE KALB-STARKE- PULASKI-MARSHALL-FULTON IN-KOSCIUSKO-WHITLEY-ALLEN IN-WHITE-CASS IN- MIAMI-WABASH-HUNTINGTON-WELLS-ADAMS-GRANT-BLACKFORD-JAY-BERRIEN- CASS MI-ST. JOSEPH MI-BRANCH-HILLSDALE-WILLIAMS-FULTON OH-DEFIANCE- HENRY-PAULDING-PUTNAM-VAN WERT-ALLEN OH- INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...MICHIGAN CITY...LA PORTE...SOUTH BEND... MISHAWAKA...ELKHART...GOSHEN...LAGRANGE...TOPEKA...ANGOLA... KENDALLVILLE...LIGONIER...AUBURN...GARRETT...KNOX...NORTH JUDSON... WINAMAC...FRANCESVILLE...PLYMOUTH...BREMEN...ROCHESTER...WARSAW... WINONA LAKE...COLUMBIA CITY...SOUTH WHITLEY...FORT WAYNE... MONTICELLO...BROOKSTON...LOGANSPORT...PERU...WABASH... NORTH MANCHESTER...HUNTINGTON...BLUFFTON...OSSIAN...DECATUR... BERNE...MARION...HARTFORD CITY...MONTPELIER...PORTLAND...NILES... BENTON HARBOR...ST. JOSEPH...BUCHANAN...DOWAGIAC...CASSOPOLIS... STURGIS...THREE RIVERS...COLDWATER...HILLSDALE...BRYAN...WAUSEON... ARCHBOLD...DEFIANCE...NAPOLEON...PAULDING...ANTWERP...OTTAWA... PANDORA...VAN WERT...DELPHOS...LIMA 440 AM EDT FRI JUL 23 2010 /340 AM CDT FRI JUL 23 2010/ THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF NORTHWEST OHIO... NORTHERN INDIANA AND SOUTHWEST LOWER MICHIGAN. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT AFTERNOON HIGHS IN THE LOW TO MID 90S COMBINED WITH HIGH HUMIDITY VALUES WILL PRODUCE HEAT INDICES IN THE 98 TO 104 DEGREE RANGE. THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE THROUGH TONIGHT. THE GREATEST CHANCE FOR SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS CAPABLE OF DAMAGING WINDS WILL BE THIS AFTERNOON INTO TONIGHT. HEAVY RAINFALL WILL ALSO BE POSSIBLE. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE THROUGH SATURDAY NIGHT. THE GREATEST THREAT FOR SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS CAPABLE OF DAMAGING WINDS WILL BE SATURDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING. HEAVY RAINFALL WILL ALSO BE POSSIBLE. HOT AND HUMID CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED TO CONTINUE PRIOR TO ANY STORMS SATURDAY. HEAT INDICES OF 95 TO 100 WILL BE POSSIBLE...DEPENDING ON THE AMOUNT OF CLOUD COVER. THE CHANCE FOR THUNDERSTORMS WILL RETURN WEDNESDAY INTO THURSDAY. IT REMAINS TOO EARLY TO DETERMINE A THREAT FOR SEVERE WEATHER. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE NEEDED THIS AFTERNOON THROUGH SATURDAY EVENING. && STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO FOR FURTHER DETAILS OR UPDATES...OR CHECK OUR WEB SITE AT WEATHER.GOV/IWX LMZ043-046-240845- NEW BUFFALO MI TO ST JOSEPH MI-MICHIGAN CITY IN TO NEW BUFFALO MI- 440 AM EDT FRI JUL 23 2010 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR THE NEARSHORE WATERS OF SOUTHEASTERN LAKE MICHIGAN. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE THROUGH TONIGHT. WIND GUSTS TO 40 KNOTS AND LOCALLY HIGHER WAVES WILL BE POSSIBLE WITH ANY STORMS. THERE WILL ALSO BE A MODERATE RISK FOR RIP CURRENTS TONIGHT IN FAR SOUTHEASTERN LAKE MICHIGAN...ADJACENT TO BERRIEN COUNTY. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE THROUGH SATURDAY NIGHT. WIND GUSTS TO 40 KNOTS AND LOCALLY HIGHER WAVES WILL BE POSSIBLE WITH ANY STORMS. INCREASING WINDS AND WAVES ARE POSSIBLE SATURDAY NIGHT BEHIND A COLD FRONT. && STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO FOR FURTHER DETAILS OR UPDATES...OR CHECK OUR WEB SITE AT WEATHER.GOV/IWX/?N=MARINE
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NORTHERN INDIANA
637 PM EDT FRI JUL 23 2010
MIZ081-232300-
HILLSDALE MI-
637 PM EDT FRI JUL 23 2010
AT 636 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
STRONG THUNDERSTORM 7 MILES NORTHEAST OF JONESVILLE...OR 10 MILES
NORTH OF HILLSDALE...MOVING EAST AT 30 MPH.
PEA SIZE HAIL...WINDS GREATER THAN 40 MPH...FREQUENT CLOUD TO GROUND
LIGHTNING AND BRIEF HEAVY DOWNPOURS ARE POSSIBLE WITH THIS STORM.
LOCATIONS IN THE PATH OF THIS STORM INCLUDE...
MOSCOW AND NORTH ADAMS...
JEROME...
SOMERSET CENTER AND SOMERSET...
GUSTY WINDS MAY CAUSE SMALL OBJECTS SUCH AS TRASH BINS 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 UNTIL 100 AM EDT
SATURDAY MORNING FOR NORTHERN INDIANA AND SOUTHERN MICHIGAN AND
NORTHWEST OHIO.
LAT...LON 4207 8436 4195 8436 4196 8477 4208 8476
4208 8437
TIME...MOT...LOC 2237Z 270DEG 27KT 4207 8459
JCSPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NORTHERN INDIANA
736 PM EDT FRI JUL 23 2010
MIZ078>081-240015-
BRANCH MI-CASS MI-HILLSDALE MI-ST. JOSEPH MI-
736 PM EDT FRI JUL 23 2010
AT 731 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED
STRONG THUNDERSTORMS ALONG A LINE EXTENDING FROM LITCHFIELD TO UNION
CITY TO 8 MILES SOUTHWEST OF THREE RIVERS...MOVING EAST AT 40 MPH.
PEA SIZE HAIL...WINDS UP TO 50 MPH...FREQUENT CLOUD TO GROUND
LIGHTNING AND BRIEF HEAVY DOWNPOURS ARE POSSIBLE WITH THESE STORMS.
LOCATIONS IN THE PATH OF THESE STORMS INCLUDE...
COLDWATER...
LITCHFIELD...
QUINCY AND JONESVILLE...
NOTTAWA...
SOUTH BUTLER...
FINDLEY AND MATTESON LAKE...
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.
A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 100 AM EDT
SATURDAY MORNING FOR NORTHERN INDIANA AND SOUTHERN MICHIGAN AND
NORTHWEST OHIO.
LAT...LON 4199 8444 4184 8571 4191 8596 4208 8529
4208 8449
TIME...MOT...LOC 2336Z 271DEG 35KT 4211 8468 4203 8501
4190 8572
JCThe Northern Indiana radar (KIWX), 93 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 23:41 UTC.
6 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Emergency management officials reported a tree down onto power lines at Girard and Bell Roads.
Emergency management officials reported numerous trees down across the northern part of Coldwater.
A state trooper reported trees down in New Buffalo.
Emergency management officials recorded winds of 60 mph southeast of Bronson.
An off duty NWS employee reported multiple trees uprooted in the Constantine area.
Emergency management officials reported power lines down in the Rose Lake area.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Michigan in 2010Every state in 2010This day in weather historyWarnings in Michigan, July 2010
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: 253847, 253848, 253851, 253852, 253855, 253854.