Thunderstorm Wind — Ottawa, Michigan

2011-07-11 · near Ottawa Beach, Ottawa, Michigan

Event narrative

Radar data corroborated with ground truth reports indicates that a significant bow echo came onshore in Holland at 10:25 a.m. A storm chaser estimated that it produced wind gusts of up to 80 mph. Numerous reports of trees and power lines were received from in and near Holland and radar data indicates additional wind damage was likely east northeast to Zeeland and Jenison. The storm blew through Jenison at 10:45 a.m.

Wider weather episode

Two separate bow echoes moved across western lower Michigan during the morning hours of July 11, producing numerous reports of wind damage. The first bow echo moved onshore north of Muskegon shortly after daybreak. The second bow echo proved to be more destructive as it raced east from northern Illinois across far southern Lake Michigan and southern lower Michigan, resulting in numerous reports of downed trees and power lines. One person lost his life in Cutlerville when a tree fell in the garage he was in.

View location on OpenStreetMap → (42.7800, -86.2100)

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 324725. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.