Severe thunderstorms developed during the late evening hours of July 13th and continued into the early morning hours of July 14th, resulting in several reports of wind damage including downed trees and power lines. An isolated EF-0 tornado also briefly touched down in Alto, causing tree damage but no injuries.
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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 developed during the late evening hours of July 13th and continued into the early morning hours of July 14th, resulting in several reports of wind damage including downed trees and power lines. An isolated EF-0 tornado also briefly touched down in Alto, causing tree damage but no injuries.
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 13, 6:40 PM EST, 4 hours 50 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAND RAPIDS MI 740 PM EDT MON JUL 13 2015 LATEST UPDATE... AVIATION .SYNOPSIS... ISSUED AT 330 PM EDT MON JUL 13 2015 LOW PRESSURE AND A COLD FRONT WILL BRING SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS TONIGHT AND TUESDAY. THE WEATHER WILL DRY OUT ON TUESDAY NIGHT AS NORTH WINDS DRIVE COOLER AND DRIER AIR INTO THE REGION BEHIND THE COLD FRONT. HIGH PRESSURE WILL PROVIDE PLEASANT WEATHER WEDNESDAY AND THURSDAY WITH COMFORTABLE TEMPERATURES AND HUMIDITIES BEFORE VERY WARM AND HUMID WEATHER MOVES IN FOR THE WEEKEND. && .SHORT TERM...(THIS EVENING THROUGH WEDNESDAY NIGHT) ISSUED AT 330 PM EDT MON JUL 13 2015 CONFIDENCE REMAINS LOW WITH RESPECT TO CONVECTIVE COVERAGE AND INTENSITY THIS EVENING. BELIEVE THE THING TO WATCH IS THE STRONG TO SEVERE STORMS THAT DEVELOP LATER THIS AFTERNOON IN CORRIDOR FROM MSP TO MSN... WITHIN THE AREA OF LATEST SPC MESOSCALE DISCUSSION. THESE STORMS SHOULD MOVE RAPIDLY EAST/SOUTHEAST...RIDING ALONG THE NORTHWARD LIFTING/EXPANDING INSTABILITY GRADIENT. RUC DEEP LAYER SHEAR VALUES OF 30-40 KTS AND MU CAPES OF 2000-3000 J/KG THIS EVENING CERTAINLY SUPPORT THE POSSIBILITY OF A CLUSTER OR TWO OF ORGANIZED STORMS WITH DAMAGING WINDS SLIDING THROUGH SW LWR MI. THE MAIN THREAT IS SOUTH OF A MKG-GRR-JXN LINE AND LOOKS TO DIMINISH AFTER 06Z AS INSTABILITY GRADUALLY WANES. MORE SCATTERED SHOWERS AND TSTMS ARE ANTICIPATED ON TUESDAY AS PRONOUNCED MID LEVEL SHORTWAVE MOVES SOUTHEAST THROUGH THE AREA. DEEP LAYER SHEAR IS SHOWN TO BE MUCH LOWER THAN TODAY/TONIGHT... GENERALLY 20 KTS OR LESS... SO SVR STORM POTENTIAL LOOKS VERY LOW. THE HIGHEST CONCENTRATION OF RAIN TUESDAY IS EXPECTED TO BE EAST OF HWY 131 AS NORTHWEST LOW LEVEL FLOW INDUCES A LAKE SHADOW OF COOLER/MORE STABLE AIR OVER THE WRN CWFA. BEST INSTABILITY TUESDAY IS PROGGED TO BE SOUTH AND EAST OF GRR 15Z-21Z WITH MU CAPES OF 1000- 2000 J/KG. SHOWERS ENDING TUESDAY NIGHT BUT WE MAY SEE SOME STRATUS ISSUES LATE AT NIGHT INTO EARLY WEDNESDAY MORNING BEFORE THE HIGH BUILDS IN ON WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON AND CLEARS THINGS OUT. .LONG TERM...(THURSDAY THROUGH MONDAY) ISSUED AT 330 PM EDT MON JUL 13 2015 SUMMER WEATHER PATTERN WILL PERSIST OVER THE REGION THROUGH THE EXTENDED PERIOD...WITH MID LEVEL RIDGE OVER THE SOUTHERN STATES AND A SERIES OF WAVES MOVING ACROSS THE NORTHERN UNITED STATES. MODELS DIFFER IN HOW THEY HANDLE THE ENERGY OVER THE WEST COAST WITH THE GFS HOLDING MORE ENERGY BACK...POSSIBLY DUE TO ITS INTERACTION WITH HURRICANE DOLORES. ECMWF SHOWING RUN TO RUN CONSISTENCY WITH CHANCES FOR RAIN CENTERED AROUND THURSDAY NIGHT/FRIDAY AND AGAIN ON MONDAY. MID LEVEL RIDGING IN BETWEEN SYSTEMS WILL PRODUCE SOME OF THE WARMEST TEMPERATURES FOR THE SEASON TO DATE ON SUNDAY. 850 MB TEMPERATURES ARE SHOWN TO BE AT OR ABOVE 20 DEGREES C SATURDAY AND SUNDAY...WHICH SHOULD MAKE THE MIDDLE AND UPPER 80S ATTAINABLE. DEWPOINTS IN THE MIDDLE AND UPPER 60S WILL ALSO BE COMMON OVER THE WEEKEND...SO IT WILL FEEL QUITE SUMMERLIKE. DRIER AND SLIGHTLY COOLER AIR WILL THEN SPREAD INTO THE REGION FOR THE MIDDLE OF NEXT WEEK. && .AVIATION...(FOR THE 00Z TAFS THROUGH 00Z TUESDAY EVENING) ISSUED AT 740 PM EDT MON JUL 13 2015 VFR CONDITIONS WILL GIVE WAY TO A PERIOD OF THUNDERSTORMS DURING THE LATE EVENING HOURS...THAT WILL BE FOLLOWED BY LOW CIGS THAT MAY LAST THROUGH MOST OF THE DAY TUESDAY. CURRENT TIMING BASED ON RADAR MOSAIC DATA INDICATES THE STORMS WOULD REACH MKG AROUND 0500Z...GRR AROUND 0530Z AND FINALLY REACH JXN BY 0730Z. THE STORMS SHOULD NOT LAST MORE THAN 2 HOURS AT ANY ONE SITE. THE STRONGEST STORMS SHOULD GO SOUTH OF OUR TAF SITES BUT WE WILL KEEP DILIGANT WATCH ON THIS THROUGH. && .MARINE... ISSUED AT 330 PM EDT MON JUL 13 2015 THERE IS A GOOD CHANCE THAT SMALL CRAFT ADVISORIES AND BEACH HAZARD STATEMENTS WILL BE NEEDED FOR TUESDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH TUESDAY NIGHT DUE TO THE STRONG NORTH WINDS OF 15 TO 25 KNOTS AND COLD ADVECTION BEHIND THE COLD FRONT. && .HYDROLOGY... ISSUED AT 239 PM EDT MON JUL 13 2015 A SWATH OF HEAVY RAIN FELL THIS MORNING ACROSS PORTIONS OF FAR WESTERN LOWER MICHIGAN. THE HEAVIEST FELL FROM HOLLAND SOUTH THROUGH SOUTH HAVEN...HARTFORD AND PAW PAW. THE HIGHEST TOTAL THAT WE RECEIVED WAS FROM PAW PAW IN FACT...OF 2.25 INCHES. SOME OF THE SMALLER STREAMS DID SEE SOME STRONG RISES IN RIVER LEVELS. THE SOUTH BRANCH OF THE BLACK RIVER NEAR BANGOR IS UP ABOUT A FOOT AND A HALF SINCE THE RAIN BEGAN THIS MORNING. THE HEAVIER RAIN FELL TOWARDS THE END OF THE BASINS NEAR LAKE MICHIGAN...SO CRESTS SHOULD WORK THROUGH FAIRLY QUICK AND NOT AFFECT ENTIRE RIVER SYSTEMS. ANOTHER ROUND OF SHOWERS AND STORMS ARE POSSIBLE LATE THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT...BUT CONFIDENCE IN EVOLUTION AND AREAL EXTENT IS LOW. THE HIGHEST LIKELIHOOD OF SEEING ADDITIONAL PRECIPITATION IS ACROSS THE SOUTH AND SOUTHWEST THROUGH THE KALAMAZOO...BLACK AND MACATAWA RIVER BASINS. ADDITIONAL BASIN AVERAGE RAINFALL SHOULD BE ON THE ORDER OF TENTH TO A HALF INCH THROUGH TUESDAY. THIS ENCOMPASSES BOTH THE SHOWER AND STORM CHANCES THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT AND ADDITIONAL RAINFALL WITH AN UPPER SYSTEM MOVING THROUGH ON TUESDAY. OVERALL...OUTSIDE OF SOME ADDITIONAL RUNOFF IN THE FAR SOUTHWEST CORNER OF THE STATE TONIGHT INTO TUESDAY...WE ARE NOT EXPECTING FLOODING OR HYDRO CONCERNS. && .GRR WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... MI...NONE. LM...NONE. && SYNOPSIS...MEADE SHORT TERM...MEADE LONG TERM...MWS AVIATION...WDM HYDROLOGY...DUKE MARINE...MEADE
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAND RAPIDS MI 518 PM EDT MON JUL 13 2015 MIZ037>040-043>046-050>052-056>059-064>067-071>074-140945- MASON-LAKE-OSCEOLA-CLARE-OCEANA-NEWAYGO-MECOSTA-ISABELLA-MUSKEGON- MONTCALM-GRATIOT-OTTAWA-KENT-IONIA-CLINTON-ALLEGAN-BARRY-EATON- INGHAM-VAN BUREN-KALAMAZOO-CALHOUN-JACKSON- 518 PM EDT MON JUL 13 2015 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF SOUTHWEST LOWER MICHIGAN. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE MAINLY SOUTH OF A SOUTH HAVEN TO KALAMAZOO LINE. LARGE HAIL IS THE PRIMARY RISK. ELSEWHERE...THERE COULD BE STRONG THUNDERSTORMS CONTAINING GUSTY WINDS...LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL AND FREQUENT LIGHTNING. STORM MOTION WILL BE TO THE SOUTHEAST AT 30 MPH. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE THURSDAY NIGHT AND INTO SUNDAY. AT THIS TIME SEVERE WEATHER IS NOT FORECASTED. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE NEEDED THROUGH TONIGHT. LMZ844>849-140945- 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- 518 PM EDT MON JUL 13 2015 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF SOUTHWEST LOWER MICHIGAN. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT THUNDERSTORMS COULD POSE A RISK TO MARINERS. GUSTY WINDS OVER 35 KNOTS AND FREQUENT CLOUD TO WATER LIGHTNING STRIKES ARE THE MAIN RISKS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY ADDITIONAL THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE IN THE THURSDAY NIGHT INTO SUNDAY PERIOD. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE NEEDED THROUGH TONIGHT. WDM TJ
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAND RAPIDS MI 1208 AM EDT TUE JUL 14 2015 MIZ044-140515- NEWAYGO MI- 1208 AM EDT TUE JUL 14 2015 ...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY... AT 1207 AM EDT...DOPPLER RADAR WAS TRACKING A STRONG THUNDERSTORM NEAR WHITE CLOUD...MOVING EAST AT 50 MPH. WIND GUSTS AT LEAST 50 MPH WITH DOWNED TREE LIMBS WILL BE POSSIBLE WITH THIS STORM. LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE... NEWAYGO... WHITE CLOUD... FREMONT... HESPERIA... GRANT... CROTON... BRIDGETON... WOOSTER... HAWKINS... BITELY... WOODVILLE... WOODLAND PARK... REEMAN... CROTON HEIGHTS... BRUNSWICK... PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... FREQUENT CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING IS OCCURRING WITH THIS STORM. LIGHTNING CAN STRIKE 15 MILES AWAY FROM A THUNDERSTORM. SEEK A SAFE SHELTER INSIDE A BUILDING OR VEHICLE. && LAT...LON 4382 8604 4382 8556 4329 8556 4329 8604 TIME...MOT...LOC 0407Z 252DEG 42KT 4355 8588 LAURENS
The Grand Rapids radar (KGRR), 50 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 04:29 UTC.
10 thunderstorm wind, 1 tornado. Local standard time, as filed.
The Ottawa county road commission reported that several trees were blown down across portions of southern Ottawa county, particularly in the Park and Jamestown township areas.
A trained spotter estimated wind gusts of up to 60 mph that caused some minore tree damage.
The Newaygo county road commission reported that around 50 large trees were blown down across mainly the northern half of Newaygo county.
A barn was blown down and several cattle were killed near Brinton.
A mesonet station in Dorr measured a 70 mph peak wind gust.
The public in Lowell reported some tree limbs were blown down and a roof of a home was damaged.
The Ionia county road commission estimated that about two dozen trees were blown down across the county.
A NWS storm survey concluded that an EF-0 tornado touched down about a third of a mile southwest of 84th street and Morse Lake Road in Alto. The tornado had a maximum path width of 50 yards and was on the ground for about 2 minutes. Peak wind speeds were estimated at 75 to 85 mph. It caused roof damage to one home and snapped and uprooted several trees. There were no injuries.
A few trees were blown down across southern Kent county by wind gusts estimated at up to 60 mph.
The road commission in Clinton county reported that around 12 trees were blown down across the southern portion of the county.
Several trees were blown down across Ionia county, with several trees down at Appletree and M-66.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Michigan in 2015Every state in 2015This day in weather historyThe tornado archive for Michigan, 2015Warnings in Michigan, July 2015
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: 587746, 587747, 587748, 587749, 587750, 587751, 587752, 587753, 587754, 587755, 587756.