Isolated damaging winds occurred with a line of storms on April 18th.
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.
Isolated damaging winds occurred with a line of storms on April 18th.
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 17, 6:38 PM EST, 5 hours 44 minutes earlier. Its key messages:
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Grand Rapids MI 738 PM EDT Fri Apr 17 2026 .KEY MESSAGES... - Line of Storms Crosses Area Tonight, Strong to Severe Possible - Cooler Sunday, Drier Pattern Ahead && .DISCUSSION... Issued at 253 PM EDT Fri Apr 17 2026 - Line of Storms Crosses Area Tonight, Strong to Severe Possible Storms out west across the upper Mississippi Valley will traverse east through the evening reaching the lakeshore near 9am. HREF/RAP guidance is less bullish on CAPE than yesterday with MUCAPE on the order of 500-1000 J/kg by the time storms arrive thanks to a warm nose just off the surface. 30-45 knots of deep layer, and 0-3 km shear will be sufficient for the potential of storms remaining organized as they approach. Damaging winds in any bowing segments are the main concern, with a non-zero, but low, risk of tornadoes. The greatest risk will be near and west of US131 where the earlier arrival will support better instability lessening with eastward extent. Showers and garden variety storms will follow the primary line continuing through daybreak. Widespread rainfall of 0.25-0.75" is expected with isolated totals to around 1.5 inches. The progressive nature of the storms should limit areal flooding concerns but any training or heavier swaths will bring that potential given saturated soils. - Cooler Sunday, Warmer and Drier Pattern Next Week Colder air filters in behind the cold front with 850mb temps falling into the negatives. This will also support breezy conditions later Saturday with gusts to 30-35 mph. Highs in the 40s and lows in the 20s to low 30s between Sunday Morning and Monday will be a notable change from recent patterns. The bright side is the incoming ridging and northwest flow will be much drier than we have been of late. Dry weather is likely until late next week when the approach of our next system brings precipitation back into the forecast. Temperatures then rebound into the 60s and 70s. && .AVIATION /00Z TAFS THROUGH 00Z SUNDAY/... Issued at 738 PM EDT Fri Apr 17 2026 Thunderstorms from the west will move east tonight from 01Z to 08Z from west to east. Thunderstorms may contain gusts 25 to 35 knots with higher gusts possible for the western TAF sites. MVFR ceilings move in with the thunderstorms and may fall to IFR levels briefly into Saturday morning. Low visibilities of 1 to 3 SM are also likely with heavy rain. Low level wind shear of 40 to 50 knots will also be present as the low level jet from 03 to 12Z Saturday. Northwest winds behind the front Saturday will build through the day with gusts 25 to 30 knots. Ceilings will also begin to lift and scatter out Saturday afternoon and evening. && .MARINE... Issued at 253 PM EDT Fri Apr 17 2026 Webcams show that fog has dissipated across the nearshore waters so will be ending the Marine Dense Fog advisory with this package. Winds and waves increase to levels hazardous to small craft tonight and continue through the weekend. A Small Craft Advisory goes into effect this evening continuing into Sunday. A line of thunderstorms is expected to cross the lake this evening. Wind gusts to 34 knots are possible as this line moves through. && .HYDROLOGY... Issued at 253 PM EDT Fri Apr 17 2026 Major flooding continues on the Muskegon River. The good news is that the river at most locations will be cresting within the next 24 hours (Upstream areas of the river including Evart crested earlier today). It will likely take until late next week for all locations to come under flood stage, so the recovery process will be slow. Meanwhile, water levels continue to rise on the Grand River, and confidence is increasing that this will end up being another minor flood event, slightly higher and worse than the one that happened earlier this month, but not a record flood at any locations. However, some of the lowest and easily flooded locations on the river like Comstock Park and Robinson Township will have moderate to possibly major flooding. A final round of rain moves back into Lower Michigan tonight, and is expected to drop around one-half inch of rain over a large area, with locally higher streaks of 1"+ possible at some locations. Given the saturated soils everywhere, this could result in some renewed minor flooding, primarily impacting roadways. Thankfully, this expected rainfall is not anticipated to make the river flooding significantly worse at any locations. Beyond this next round of rain, we dry out for at least the better part of a week going forward, which will be a very welcome chance for the rivers to begin the slow process of recovering to more normal levels. && .GRR WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... MI...None. MARINE...Small Craft Advisory until 8 AM EDT Sunday for LMZ844>849. && DISCUSSION...Thomas AVIATION...RAH MARINE...Thomas HYDROLOGY...AMD
Hazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service Grand Rapids MI 247 PM EDT Fri Apr 17 2026 MIZ037>040-043>046-050>052-056>059-064>067-071>074-181900- Mason-Lake-Osceola-Clare-Oceana-Newaygo-Mecosta-Isabella-Muskegon- Montcalm-Gratiot-Ottawa-Kent-Ionia-Clinton-Allegan-Barry-Eaton- Ingham-Van Buren-Kalamazoo-Calhoun-Jackson- 247 PM EDT Fri Apr 17 2026 This hazardous weather outlook is for portions of southwest Lower Michigan. .DAY ONE...This Afternoon and Tonight Strong to severe storms will be possible this evening into early tomorrow. Damaging winds and large hail are the main threat .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Saturday through Thursday No hazardous weather is expected at this time. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Spotter activation may be needed this evening. LMZ844>849-181900- 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- 247 PM EDT Fri Apr 17 2026 This hazardous weather outlook is for the nearshore waters from St Joseph to Manistee. .DAY ONE...This Afternoon and Tonight Thunderstorms will be possible tonight into tomorrow. Winds in excess of 34 knots are possible in the strongest storms. Small craft advisory is in effect tonight through the weekend. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Saturday through Thursday Small craft advisory conditions will continue Saturday into Sunday. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Spotter activation will not be needed.
Special Weather Statement
National Weather Service Grand Rapids MI
1201 AM EDT Sat Apr 18 2026
MIZ056-180445-
Ottawa MI-
1201 AM EDT Sat Apr 18 2026
...Strong thunderstorms will impact portions of Ottawa County through
1245 AM EDT...
At 1201 AM EDT, Doppler radar was tracking showers and thunderstorms
along a line extending from near Grand Haven to 6 miles northwest of
Zeeland to near Beechwood. Movement was northeast at 50 mph.
HAZARD...Wind gusts up to 50 mph.
SOURCE...Radar indicated.
IMPACT...Gusty winds could knock down tree limbs and blow around
unsecured objects.
Locations impacted include...
Holland... Grand Haven... Walker...
Grandville... Hudsonville... Zeeland...
Coopersville... Ferrysburg... Spring Lake...
Beechwood... Jenison... Allendale...
Conklin... Wright... Port Sheldon...
Borculo... Crockery Lake... Lamont...
Olive Center... Eastmanville...
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
If outdoors, consider seeking shelter inside a building.
&&
LAT...LON 4312 8621 4312 8591 4320 8591 4320 8579
4289 8578 4277 8603 4277 8616 4285 8614
4292 8622 4298 8622 4309 8625
TIME...MOT...LOC 0401Z 232DEG 43KT 4301 8621 4290 8608 4280 8610
MAX HAIL SIZE...0.00 IN
MAX WIND GUST...50 MPH
NJJSpecial Weather Statement
National Weather Service Grand Rapids MI
1220 AM EDT Sat Apr 18 2026
MIZ057-180500-
Kent MI-
1220 AM EDT Sat Apr 18 2026
...Outflow boundary will impact portions of Kent County through 100
AM EDT...
At 1219 AM EDT, Doppler radar was tracking an outflow boundary along
a line extending from 5 miles northwest of Walker to near Grandville
to near Hudsonville. Movement was east at 45 mph.
HAZARD...Winds in excess of 40 mph.
SOURCE...Radar indicated.
IMPACT...Gusty winds could knock down tree limbs and blow around
unsecured objects.
Locations impacted include...
Grand Rapids... Wyoming... Kentwood...
Walker... Grandville... East Grand Rapids...
Rockford... Sparta... Lowell...
Caledonia... Gerald R. Ford Inter...Ada...
Grattan... Cutlerville... Belmont...
Alaska... Alto... Cannonsburg...
Cascade... Dutton...
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
If outdoors, consider seeking shelter inside a building.
&&
LAT...LON 4327 8531 4277 8531 4277 8578 4312 8579
TIME...MOT...LOC 0419Z 253DEG 41KT 4303 8584 4293 8579 4285 8587
MAX HAIL SIZE...0.00 IN
MAX WIND GUST...40 MPH
NJJPreliminary Local Storm Report
National Weather Service Grand Rapids MI
1259 AM EDT Sat Apr 18 2026
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
1108 PM Tstm Wnd Gst 4 WNW Roosevelt Park 43.23N 86.34W
04/17/2026 M42 MPH Muskegon MI Mesonet
Mesonet station MKGM4 Muskegon Pier.
1154 PM Tstm Wnd Gst Macatawa 42.77N 86.21W
04/17/2026 M42 MPH LMZ846 MI Mesonet
Mesonet station HLNM4 Holland Harbor.
1241 AM Tstm Wnd Gst 4 SSE South Haven 42.35N 86.25W
04/18/2026 M43 MPH Van Buren MI AWOS
AWOS station KLWA South Haven Rgnl Arpt.
&&
CASThe Grand Rapids radar (KGRR), 17 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 05:25 UTC.
2 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Straight line wind damage that included isolated roof and significant tree damage. Most concentrated damage was near 146th avenue and 9th street.
Scattered trees down between Plainwell and Pine Lake. Scattered power outages.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Michigan in 2026Every state in 2026This day in weather historyWarnings in Michigan, April 2026
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: 1332998, 1332999.