A warm front moved north across southern and central lower Michigan during the day of June 21st, allowing a much warmer and very humid airmass to advect into the area. Thunderstorms developed during the mid afternoon hours due to the building heat and instability and lake breeze convergence.
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.
A warm front moved north across southern and central lower Michigan during the day of June 21st, allowing a much warmer and very humid airmass to advect into the area. Thunderstorms developed during the mid afternoon hours due to the building heat and instability and lake breeze convergence. The first of the thunderstorms developed near Holland around 4 p.m. just a couple miles inland of Lake Michigan where the convergence was the strongest. Numerous additional thunderstorms developed in the zone of lake breeze convergence. The storms eventually congealed into a line of storms which marched eastward across the area during the early to mid evening hours.
The storms produced winds of up to around 60 mph in some localized locations. A gust to near 50 mph at the Gerald R Ford Airport in Grand Rapids produced damage to a couple of hangars that injured four people who were in the hangars at the time. The storms also produced some hail, with the biggest hail stones measuring over two inches in diameter in Muskegon and just east of Bangor.
The most significant issue with the storms however was heavy rainfall. A storm that produced very heavy rainfall and did not move very fast in eastern Ottawa county from Allendale to near Marne produced 3 to locally 5 inches of rain within a two hour time frame. This created flooding on parts of the campus of Grand Valley State University, and produced standing water on the roads in Allendale and Tallmadge township in Ottawa county. Some other areas that received the highest rainfall totals were near the intersection of Isabella, Montcalm and Gratiot counties. Western Calhoun county also received significant rainfall and portions of the aforementioned areas saw up to 5 inches of rain falling in a 2 to 3 hour time frame.
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 Jun 21, 3:15 PM EST, 45 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAND RAPIDS MI 415 PM EDT TUE JUN 21 2011 LATEST UPDATE...ALL EXCEPT AVIATION... .SYNOPSIS...(415 PM EDT TUE JUN 21 2011) A WARM FRONT WILL LIFT NORTH INTO NORTHERN LOWER MICHIGAN TONIGHT. SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ARE LIKELY OVER SOUTHWEST LOWER MICHIGAN THIS EVENING AND TONIGHT AS THE WARM FRONT LIFTS SLOWLY NORTH. SOME STORMS MAY BE SEVERE THIS EVENING WITH VERY HEAVY RAIN AND STRONG WINDS BEING THE MAIN THREATS. A COLD FRONT WILL SWEEP THROUGH THE AREA ON WEDNESDAY WITH ADDITIONAL SHOWERS AND STORMS. COOLER...SHOWERY WEATHER IS EXPECTED WEDNESDAY NIGHT INTO THURSDAY NIGHT AS A SLOW MOVING AREA OF LOW PRESSURE DRIFTS THROUGH THE GREAT LAKES REGION. IT WILL BE COOLER AS WE HEAD INTO WEDNESDAY AND THURSDAY WITH COOLER AIR AND CLOUDS SPREADING INTO THE REGION. && .SHORT TERM...(415 PM EDT TUE JUN 21 2011) (TONIGHT THROUGH THURSDAY NIGHT) SEVERE STORMS REMAIN A POSSIBILITY THIS EVENING AS HIGH INSTABILITY IS IN PLACE. A STORM NEAR HOLLAND WENT UP RAPIDLY AS OF 400 PM. IT REMAINS A HIGH CAPE LOW SHEAR ENVIRONMENT SO PULSE STORMS ARE ANTICIPATED. VERY HEAVY...TORRENTIAL RAINS AND DAMAGING WINDS WILL BE THE MAIN THREATS IN WET MICROBURSTS. A WARM FRONT EXTENDS FROM NEAR MUSKEGON TO ST. JOHNS AT 400 PM WHICH IS FORECAST TO SLOWLY LIFT NORTHWARD TONIGHT. STORMS MAY BEGIN TO INCREASE IN COVERAGE IN THE NEXT COUPLE HOURS IN THE WARM SECTOR OVER SOUTHERN LOWER MICHIGAN. IN ADDITION...STORMS MAY INCREASE NEAR THE WARM FRONT AS WE HEAD FURTHER INTO THE EVENING AS A LOW LEVEL JET BEGINS TO INCREASE SLIGHTLY. AS WAS STATED EARLIER...THIS EVENING IS A TOUGH CONVECTIVE FORECAST GIVEN THE LACK OF A SIGNIFICANT TRIGGER. DEGREE OF INSTABILITY IS A CONCERN WITH MEAN LAYER CAPES IN EXCESS OF 4000 J/KG JUST SOUTH OF THE FORECAST AREA. PARAMETERS ON WEDNESDAY DO NOT LOOK AS GOOD FOR SEVERE WEATHER WITH LESS INSTABILITY. THE UPPER LOW WILL BE IN CLOSER PROXIMITY THOUGH WHICH WILL PROVIDE BETTER UPPER SUPPORT. HEAVY RAIN WILL REMAIN A THREAT UNTIL THE DEEPER MOISTURE IS SHUNTED EAST BY THE EVENING HOURS. COOLER...SHOWERY WEATHER IS EXPECTED WEDNESDAY NIGHT THROUGH THURSDAY NIGHT AS THE UPPER LOW DRIFTS OVERHEAD. HIGHS ON THURSDAY IN PORTIONS OF THE FORECAST AREA MIGHT NOT HIT 70 DEGREES. && .LONG TERM...(415 PM EDT TUE JUN 21 2011) (FRIDAY THROUGH TUESDAY) CHILLY AIR WILL BE OVER THE GREAT LAKES BY FRIDAY AS THE UPPER LOW DRIFTS NE INTO QUEBEC AND BRINGS H8 TEMPS OF 8C OVERHEAD. MAINLY CLOUDY SKIES AND LINGERING SHOWERS WILL CAUSE TEMPS TO STRUGGLE TO REACH THE 70S IN MANY AREAS. AN EXTENDED PERIOD OF DRY WEATHER SHOULD FOLLOW FOR THE WEEKEND INTO THE FIRST PART OF NEXT WEEK AS HIGH PRESSURE DRIFTS SLOWLY BY. TEMPS WILL GRADUALLY RETURN TO NORMAL LEVELS BY THE END OF THE WEEKEND. THE NEXT CHANCE OF RAIN APPEARS TO HOLD OFF UNTIL MONDAY NIGHT INTO TUESDAY WITH AN APPROACHING COLD FRONT. THIS FRONT APPEARS TO BE WEAKENING AS IT RUNS INTO THE UPPER RIDGE...THEREFORE WILL ONLY MENTION SLGT CHANCE POPS. && .AVIATION...(142 PM EDT TUE JUN 21 2011) A MIX OF VFR AND MVFR WAS ACROSS THE REGION EARLY THIS AFTERNOON. WITH INCREASED MIXING THIS SHOULD TREND MORE TOWARD VFR. HOWEVER DEEPER MOISTURE ARRIVES LATE TONIGHT AND ALONG WITH HIGH DEW POINTS...EXPECT CEILINGS AND VSBYS TO LOWER TO PREDOMINATELY MVFR AFTER MIDNIGHT. TRENDS SHOULD THEN IMPROVE BACK TO VFR LATE WEDNESDAY MORNING AS A BRISK SOUTHERLY WIND DEVELOPS. BEST CHANCE FOR THUNDERSTORMS AROUND THE TAF SITES WILL COME THIS EVENING FROM ROUGHLY 22Z TO 06Z. BUT EVEN OUTSIDE THIS TIME FRAME THERE COULD BE ISOLATED STORMS. SHOULD BE A LULL IN THE STORMS LATE WEDNESDAY MORNING INTO EARLY AFTERNOON. && .MARINE...(415 PM EDT TUE JUN 21 2011) A FAIRLY BAGGY GRADIENT WILL BE IN PLACE OVER LAKE MICHIGAN THE NEXT COUPLE OF DAYS. THEREFORE...SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY CONDITIONS ARE NOT EXPECTED. THERE ARE A COUPLE TIMES WHERE THE WIND COMES UP A BIT (WED MORNING AND AGAIN THURS MORNING) WHICH MAY PUSH WAVES INTO THE 2-3 FOOT RANGE...BUT OVERALL A FAIRLY QUITE NEXT 48 HOURS. FOG CONTINUES TO BE A THREAT OUT ON THE LAKE TONIGHT AS WARM MOIST AIR RIDES OVER THE COOLER LAKE WATERS. GIVEN SATELLITE IMAGERY AND WEBCAMS NOT SHOWING MUCH IN THE WAY OF THICK FOG WILL NOT ISSUE A MARINE DENSE FOG ADVISORY AT THIS TIME. WILL CONTINUE TO MONITOR. && .HYDROLOGY...(415 PM EDT TUE JUN 21 2011) THREAT FOR LOCALLY TORRENTIAL HEAVY RAIN CONTINUES WITH ANY STORMS THAT DEVELOP THIS AFTERNOON INTO TONIGHT. GIVEN THE LOW CONFIDENCE IN STORM DEVELOPMENT AND COVERAGE NOT PLANNING ON ISSUING ANY FLOOD WATCHES AT THIS TIME. PRECIPTABLE WATER VALUES WILL BE ON THE ORDER OF 1.75 TO 2.00 INCHES THROUGH TONIGHT. MOISTURE TRANSPORT VECTORS AT 850MB CONTINUE TO INDICATE A PUSH OF MOISTURE TONIGHT INTO WEDNESDAY MORNING. SO...GIVEN A TROPICAL AIRMASS IN PLACE AND A WARM FRONT IN THE VICINITY VERY HEAVY DOWNPOURS CAN BE EXPECTED WITH STORMS. RAINFALL RATES OF 1 TO 2 INCHES PER HOUR WILL BE LIKELY INTO WEDNESDAY MORNING. DEEPER MOISTURE BEGINS TO SHUNT OFF TO THE EAST AS EARLY AS MID MORNING WEDNESDAY. THE HEAVY RAIN THREAT SHOULD BE OVER BY 21Z OR SO WEDNESDAY EVENING. USGS GAGE DATA INDICATES THAT MOST SITES ARE IN THE 50-75 PCT OF NORMAL RANGE...SO THERE THERE IS SOME ROOM FOR LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL ON THE MAINSTEM RIVERS. && .GRR WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... MI...NONE. LM...NONE. && SYNOPSIS: DUKE SHORT TERM: DUKE LONG TERM: JK AVIATION: JK MARINE: DUKE HYDROLOGY: DUKE
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAND RAPIDS MI 1240 PM EDT TUE JUN 21 2011 MIZ037>040-043>046-050>052-056>059-064>067-071>074-220900- MASON-LAKE-OSCEOLA-CLARE-OCEANA-NEWAYGO-MECOSTA-ISABELLA-MUSKEGON- MONTCALM-GRATIOT-OTTAWA-KENT-IONIA-CLINTON-ALLEGAN-BARRY-EATON- INGHAM-VAN BUREN-KALAMAZOO-CALHOUN-JACKSON- 1240 PM EDT TUE JUN 21 2011 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF SOUTHWEST LOWER MICHIGAN. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT A SLIGHT RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS EXISTS THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING...ESPECIALLY NEAR AND SOUTH OF THE INTERSTATE 96 CORRIDOR. A WARM FRONT WILL BE SITUATED NEAR INTERSTATE 96 THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING. HEAT AND HUMIDITY WILL BUILD TO THE SOUTH OF THE FRONT THIS AFTERNOON...WHICH WILL LIKELY RESULT IN SCATTERED STORMS...SOME OF WHICH MAY BE SEVERE. THE MAIN THREATS FROM STORMS THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING WILL BE TORRENTIAL RAIN AND STRONG WINDS. WINDS IN EXCESS OF 60 MPH WILL BE POSSIBLE WITH THE STRONGEST STORMS. RAINFALL RATES OF ONE TO TWO INCHES PER HOUR MAY RESULT IN FLOODING OF POOR DRAINAGE AREAS AND SMALLER CREEKS AND STREAMS. STORM MOVEMENT WILL BE TO THE NORTHEAST AT ABOUT 20 MPH. THE MAIN TIME FRAME OF CONCERN WILL BE FROM 200 PM THROUGH 1000 PM. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS AND LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL ARE POSSIBLE ON WEDNESDAY AND WEDNESDAY NIGHT. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE NEEDED THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT... ESPECIALLY NEAR AND SOUTH OF THE INTERSTATE 96. ACTIVATION MAY BE NEEDED OVER THE ENTIRE AREA ON WEDNESDAY AND WEDNESDAY EVENING. LMZ844>849-220900- 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- 1240 PM EDT TUE JUN 21 2011 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF SOUTHWEST LOWER MICHIGAN. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT A SLIGHT RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WITH DAMAGING WINDS... FREQUENT LIGHTING AND TORRENTIAL RAIN EXISTS THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT... ESPECIALLY SOUTH OF WHITEHALL. STORM MOVEMENT WILL BE TO THE NORTHEAST AT ABOUT 20 MPH. AREAS OF DENSE FOG MAY RESULT IN SUDDEN CHANGES TO VERY LIMITED VISIBILITY. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS...LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL...AN AREAS OF DENSE FOG ARE POSSIBLE ON WEDNESDAY AND WEDNESDAY NIGHT. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE NEEDED THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT... ESPECIALLY SOUTH OF WHITEHALL. ACTIVATION MAY BE NEEDED OVER THE ENTIRE AREA ON WEDNESDAY AND WEDNESDAY EVENING. MEADE DUKE
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAND RAPIDS MI
420 PM EDT TUE JUN 21 2011
MIZ050-056-064-212100-
ALLEGAN-MUSKEGON-OTTAWA-
420 PM EDT TUE JUN 21 2011
...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY...
AT 415 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
STRONG THUNDERSTORM NEAR HOLLAND...MOVING NORTH AT 20 MPH.
DIME SIZE HAIL HAS BEEN REPORTED WITH THIS STORM IN HOLLAND. ONE
HALF INCH DIAMETER HAIL...WINDS GREATER THAN 30 MPH...BRIEF HEAVY
DOWNPOURS...ARE POSSIBLE WITH THIS STORM.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
GUSTY WINDS MAY CAUSE SMALL OBJECTS SUCH AS TRASH BINS TO BLOW
AROUND. SEEK SHELTER IN A STURDY STRUCTURE UNTIL THIS STORM HAS
PASSED.
&&
LAT...LON 4320 8579 4311 8579 4271 8595 4272 8621
4302 8623 4320 8632
TIME...MOT...LOC 2019Z 199DEG 18KT 4278 8611
HOVINGPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAND RAPIDS MI
421 PM EDT TUE JUN 21 2011
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0410 PM HAIL 1 WNW HOLLAND 42.79N 86.13W
06/21/2011 E0.50 INCH LMZ846 MI TRAINED SPOTTER
HAIL RNGED FROM FORM PEA SIZED TO JUST UNDER A DIME
&&
RSUTTLEPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT...CORRECTED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAND RAPIDS MI
423 PM EDT TUE JUN 21 2011
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0410 PM HAIL 1 WNW HOLLAND 42.79N 86.13W
06/21/2011 E0.50 INCH LMZ846 MI TRAINED SPOTTER
HAIL RANGED FROM PEA SIZED TO JUST UNDER A DIME
&&
RSUTTLEPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAND RAPIDS MI
457 PM EDT TUE JUN 21 2011
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0443 PM HAIL 5 SE GRAND HAVEN 43.01N 86.15W
06/21/2011 M0.50 INCH OTTAWA MI PUBLIC
PUBLIC REPORTS 1/2 INCH HAIL
&&
GWETZELThe Grand Rapids radar (KGRR), 58 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 20:59 UTC.
7 thunderstorm wind, 6 hail, 6 flash flood, 3 flood. Local standard time, as filed.
One and a quarters inch hail was reported by a trained spotter near Grand Haven.
A trained spotter just east of Allendale reported that a severe thunderstorm produced one inch hail. Broadcast media from Grand Rapids relayed a report of three quarters inch hail north of Zeeland earlier with that storm.
A trained spotter reported that a severe thunderstorm produced an estimated wind gust to 65 mph.
A trained spotter in Muskegon reported that hail up to two inches in diameter fell with an isolated severe storm that moved onshore near the Muskegon harbor before quickly diminishing as it tracked further northeast away from Muskegon.
Radar estimated that large hail fell from just southeast of Hartford to the north northeast across east central Van Buren county to north of Bloomingdale. A report of two inch diameter hail was received just east of Bangor.
Heavy rain caused a couple of roads to be washed out near and north of Wayland in extreme northeast Allegan county.
Seventeen vehicles had to be pulled out of flood waters in the intersection of Church and Main Street in Jenison.
Multiple cars stalled out in water under bridge at the intersection of 28th and Division.
A trained spotter reported an estimated severe thunderstorm wind gust to 70 mph at Twin Lake. Numerous tree branches were blown down and there was also damage to a pontoon boat and garage roof.
Thunderstorm wind gusts caused two civilian hangars to become damaged and collapse at the Gerald R. Ford International Airport, causing four injuries. Three of the four were treated on the scene and released but one person who incurred more significant injuries and a head laceration was taken to the hospital. The damage occurred at the north end of the airport and affected a row of general aviation hangers. The injuries occurred due to debris from the two hangars that collapsed.
Several locations in and near downtown Grand Rapids had flooded roads and intersections, with numerous reports of one to two feet of standing water on some roads and at intersections due to heavy rainfall which fell in a short amount of time. The heaviest rainfall occurred over far west northwestern Kent county in the Walker area, where radar estimates that 3 to 5 inches of rain likely fell.
A trained spotter in Athens reported one inch diameter hail.
A trained spotter reported one inch diameter hail near White Cloud.
Three to five inches fell in just one to three hours across portions of central and eastern Ottawa county. This caused extensive flooding of the Grand Valley State University Allendale campus, where over a million dollars worth of damage due to flooding was reported. A coop observer in Allendale measured 4.43 inches of rainfall with this event and a CoCoRaHs observer near Tallmadge measured 3.74 inches of rainfall.
Calhoun county emergency management reported estimated a severe thunderstorm wind gust to 60 mph.
A trained spotter reported an estimated gust to 60 mph near Greenville.
The Isabella county emergency manager reported that a roof was blown off a pole barn just southwest of Winn.
Six to eight inches of fast moving water flowing over Wilson Avenue and Lake Michigan Drive.
Fremont Road (gravel road) was washed out between Littlefield Road and South Johnson.
Law enforcement reported that a severe thunderstorm blew down numerous trees and powerlines mainly just east of US-127.
B Drive South between 4 Mile Road and 4 1/2 Mile Road flooded to a depth of 4.5 feet.
Law enforcement reported that heavy rain caused water to flow over several roads and a foot or two of standing water on several roads and intersections across far western Calhoun county, mainly near to just west and southwest of the city of Battle Creek.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Michigan in 2011Every state in 2011This day in weather historyWarnings in Michigan, June 2011
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: 305737, 305727, 305752, 305741, 305725, 305860, 316398, 316400, 305750, 305850, 305854, 305726, 305747, 305664, 305774, 305779, 305755, 316395, 316402, 305769, 316413, 305863.