Thunderstorm Wind in Lake County, Michigan

Michigan State Police EMD's Damage and Injury Assessment Report indicated $89,176 in public damage costs and the Lake County Star newspaper reported $514,850 in private property damage and $502,500 in clean-up costs. No injuries were reported. Hardest hit townships included Lake, Peacock, and Yates. The newspaper reported an entanglement of trees, limbs, and power lines were left throughout the county, with the area from just south of Big Star Lake in Lake Township northeast through Idlewild having been especially hard-hit. Public buildings in Baldwin incurred minor damage and Michigan Highway 37, 4 miles south of Baldwin, was closed for a period on May 31st for tree and debris removal. Lake County declared a local state of emergency, which was lifted late in the day on Monday, June 1st.

Damage surveys conducted by the National Weather Service Office in Grand Rapids, MI, in addition to trained spotter reports, local media meteorologist input, emergency management officials, and a review of National Weather Service Doppler Radar, indicate the widespread and severe damage which occurred with the fast-moving line of thunderstorms during the early morning hours of Sunday, May 31st, was caused primarily by strong straight-line winds and isolated wet microburst winds. This particular derecho formed in South Dakota on the evening of Saturday, May 30th, and raced eastward at 70 mph across Minnesota, Iowa, and Wisconsin, before striking Michigan's Lower Peninsula around 4:30 am EDT Sunday morning, May 31st. The derecho event produced widespread 60 to 90 mph wind gusts, which caused extensive tree and structural damage and left over 861,000 homes and businesses without electricity across Michigan's Lower Peninsula. Consumers Energy reported the derecho event was the most destructive weather event in its history, leaving over 600,000 of its customers without power (Consumers Energy is the largest utility company in western and mid Lower Michigan). There were 4 storm-related fatalities reported in the state and 146 injuries (mostly minor). Statewide, approximately 250 homes were destroyed, 12,250 homes damaged, 34 businesses destroyed, and 829 businesses damaged. Damage estimates across the above listed counties totaled over $166 Million. NWS Storm Damage Field Studies suggested highest wind gusts in wet microbursts reached 120 to 130 mph in Spring Lake (Ottawa County) and Walker (Kent County), 100 mph in portions of Montcalm County (including Cody Lake and Stanton), 90 mph in Rockford (Kent County) and Zeeland (Ottawa County), and 80 mph in Big Rapids (Mecosta County), Ludington (Mason County), Sparta (Kent County), and northern Osceola County. On June 24th, President Clinton declared 13 Michigan counties federal disaster areas, including the following 10 from the NWSO Grand Rapids County Warning Area: Clinton, Gratiot, Ionia, Kent, Mason, Montcalm, Muskegon, Newaygo, Oceana, and Ottawa. It took up to 10 days to fully restore power to certain areas including the City of Walker and portions of Montcalm and Gratiot Counties.