Strong Thunderstorms Strike Southwest Michigan with Damaging Winds
Severe thunderstorms with 55 mph winds and hail battered southwest Michigan communities Sunday evening, prompting weather service warnings.
NILES, MICHIGAN — Severe thunderstorms swept across southwest Michigan Sunday evening, bringing winds up to 55 mph and hail to communities throughout the region, according to the National Weather Service.
The strongest storm was tracked by Doppler radar near Niles at 5:26 p.m. EDT, moving east at 55 mph with wind gusts of 50 to 55 mph and half-inch hail. The National Weather Service warned that gusty winds could knock down tree limbs and blow around unsecured objects, while minor hail damage to vegetation was possible.
A second storm was detected near Sturgis at 5:28 p.m. EDT, traveling northeast at 35 mph with similar wind speeds and hail conditions, weather officials reported.
Communities in Storm’s Path
The storm system impacted numerous communities across southwest Michigan and northern Indiana. The Niles-area storm affected Benton Harbor, St. Joseph, Dowagiac, Buchanan, Fair Plain, Benton Heights, Bridgman, Berrien Springs, Cassopolis, Watervliet, Coloma, Edwardsburg, Marcellus, Stevensville, Paw Paw Lake, Lake Michigan Beach, Union, Bertrand, and Pokagon.
The Sturgis storm impacted Three Rivers, Bronson, Constantine, Union City, White Pigeon, Centreville, Colon, Nottawa, Girard, Flowerfield, Fawn River, Mottville, Batavia, Leonidas, Mendon, Burr Oak, Gilead, Sherwood, and Klinger Lake, according to weather service alerts.
Highway Impacts
Major transportation corridors experienced dangerous conditions as the storms moved through the area. Interstate 196 between mile markers 0 and 7 was in the path of severe weather, along with Interstate 94 in Michigan between mile markers 15 and 42.
The Sturgis storm also affected Interstate 69 in Michigan near mile marker 21, weather officials said.
Earlier Storm Activity
The severe weather began earlier in the evening when radar detected a strong thunderstorm over Gulivoire Park at 5:07 p.m. EDT, moving east at 60 mph. This storm produced wind gusts up to 50 mph and penny-size hail.
That initial storm system impacted a broader region including South Bend, Elkhart, Mishawaka, Goshen, La Porte, Warsaw, Plymouth, Nappanee, Bremen, Syracuse, Granger, Dunlap, Simonton Lake, Osceola, and Walkerton. Interstate 80 in Indiana between mile markers 50 and 100 and Interstate 94 in Michigan between mile markers 6 and 17 were also affected.
All weather alerts were issued by the National Weather Service Northern Indiana office, which monitors conditions across the region. The radar-indicated storms represented typical spring severe weather patterns for the Great Lakes region.
