Overnight, thunderstorms brought West Michigan reports of tornadoes, tremendous winds, huge hail, and a lot of rain.
Counties south of I-96 received repeated tornado and severe thunderstorm warnings Thursday night as storms raged through west Michigan. The counties of Calhoun, Van Buren, and Kalamazoo were the only ones affected, with Marshall being among the hardest damaged.
Michael Armitage, a qualified storm spotter and 911 dispatcher for Calhoun County, reported spotting a tornado at 26 mile/F Drive North last night, just after 12:30 pm. At the time, there was a strong radar indication of a rotation, and the storm was under a tornado warning.
While there are still numerous reports of damage this morning, the largest hail that has been reported so far is 1.75 inches, or the size of a golf ball. in addition to harm to powerlines and trees.
The National Weather Service has provided the following list of further storm reports:
1. 1235 AM Tornado 5 NNE Marshall 42.33N 84.93W
02/28/2024 Calhoun MI 911 Call Center
911 Center Director, Trained spotters, and
radar confirmation.
2. 1225 AM Hail 1 SE Brownlee Park 42.32N 85.12W
02/28/2024 M1.75 inch Calhoun MI Broadcast Media
3. 1220 AM Hail 1 SSE Battle Creek 42.30N 85.17W
02/28/2024 M1.75 inch Calhoun MI Trained Spotter
4. 1215 AM Hail 4 SSW Springfield 42.27N 85.26W
02/28/2024 M1.25 inch Calhoun MI Trained Spotter
5. 1225 AM Hail 1 SE Brownlee Park 42.32N 85.12W
02/28/2024 M1.00 inch Calhoun MI Trained Spotter
6. 1126 PM Tstm Wnd Dmg 3 SW Lawton 42.13N 85.88W
02/27/2024 Van Buren MI Trained Spotter
Healthy trees and power lines down on County
Road 669 just north of 79th Street.
7. 1036 PM Hail 4 SE Mattawan 42.17N 85.75W
02/27/2024 E1.00 inch Kalamazoo MI Public
Report from mPING: Quarter (1.00 in.).
Later today, the Grand Rapids National Weather Service is expected to confirm the tornado, rate its size, and evaluate the damage. As the dawn rises, crews are heading out to get a firsthand look.