Thunderstorm Wind — Kent, Michigan

1999-05-17 · near Wyoming, Kent, Michigan

Event narrative

Gusty thunderstorm winds flattened a house under construction in Wyoming in Kent County, causing one fatality and injuring another person. A 70 mile per hour wind gust was recorded in Grandville. Numerous trees were downed across the county. A 75 mile per hour wind gust was recorded in Grand Rapids.

Wider weather episode

A large severe weather outbreak occurred across southern lower Michigan, featuring numerous reports of wind gusts of 60 to 70 miles per hour that downed numerous trees and power lines. A wind gust caused a home under construction to collapse in Wyoming in Kent County, causing one fatality and injuring another. There was a recorded wind gust to 115 miles per hour in Calhoun County. There were also a few reports of hail 0.75" - 1.00" in diameter. A rotating wall cloud was reported in northern Kalamazoo County, but there were no tornado touchdowns. All of this activity developed quickly during the afternoon hours, as the atmosphere rapidly destabilized. A squall line developed along the Michigan and Indiana border during the mid afternoon hours, and movedquickly to the north northeast.

View location on OpenStreetMap → (42.9300, -85.7300)

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 5708352. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.