WEST MICHIGAN — While most in West Michigan experienced strong winds, heavy rain, and frequent lightning Sunday afternoon and evening, some produced a tornadoes!
Tornadoes in Michigan are not uncommon, as we average 16 per year, yet just over 1 tornado each March.
After the winds and rain exit, The National Weather Service takes a day analyzing the damage to confirm if there was a tornado, or if considered a straight line wind event for historical records. They look 2 key factors: How much damage and where debris ended based on it's starting point.
HOW MUCH DAMAGE
FOX 17 had crews in Newaygo County Sunday & Monday east of Grant where reports came in of a Tornado Sunday evening.
This area is very rural, with Grant Township spanning over 36 square miles but only 3300 residents as of 2020. The best place to start is looking for downed power lines, trees, or loose standing structures.
There was a 50 foot tall power pole toppled over a country road, as well as one tree snapped, but not a lot given farm fields for the majority of the land.
Radar estimated winds were around 80 mph in Grant, so these items damaged makes sense, but is it enough to confirm a tornado rolled through?
WHERE DEBRIS WENT
Debris paths are just as important to see how long the strong winds were around, where the winds or potential tornado tracked and how long it track.
The power pole fell right on its side, from west to east, and didn't have any twisting in the metal. This implying the winds may not have been rotating but in a straight line.
The trees were snapped in their age and dispersed the way they leaned, so nothing definitive there as well.
EXTRA DATA
When not on-site of damage reports, they utilize viewer photos and reports while interpreting radar data to confirm possible areas of rotation, where the strongest winds were, and how those winds impacted those at the surface.
VERDICTS
The first confirmed tornado through surveys was in Caledonia. An EF-0 from 100th/Eastern Ave to 84th/Hannah Lake Rd and was on the ground for 5 minutes.
The National Weather Service of Grand Rapids confirmed 80 mph straight line winds in Calhoun County near Tekonsha.
The National Weather Service in northern Indiana did damage surveys for Indiana state line counties Monday, including Cass County. They confirmed an EF-1 tornado in Edwardsburg, with 100 mph max winds.
The tornado lasted 3 minutes, was on the ground for just over 2 miles and primarily caused tree damage.
As of Monday early evening, The NWS of Grand Rapids is still surveying Newaygo and Ionia counties. The NWS in northern Indiana will continue damage surveys Tuesday to determine if any additional tornadoes touched down during Sunday's event.
