BYRON CENTER, Mich. — As storms rolled through Saturday afternoon in West Michigan, most did so without any major event. That changed briefly as they moved over Gaines Township, south of Cutlerville and east of Byron Center, where ingredients were just right for a quick spin-up tornado.
The tornado path, as surveyed by the National Weather Service in Grand Rapids, was just a half mile long and only 65 yards wide. It came down at 4:18 p.m. approximately 3.6 miles SSE of Cutlerville and lifted at 4:19 p.m. 3.1 miles SSE of Cutlerville. The storm packed winds of 70-80 mph and caused EF-0 damage.
See video of the tornado below from Mike Gorman and Brennan Prill:
Damage was reported in the Preservation Lakes subdivision to about 6 to 12 homes. The storm tore off a portion of one roof, stripped siding off two other houses, damaged a garage door, and caused damage to at least two vehicles from flying debris.
At the time of the spin-up there were no severe weather alerts in place, but this storm would later go under a Severe Thunderstorm Warning as it pushed further north. As is the nature with these spin-up tornadoes, they can happen fast and unexpectedly. It's a prime example of why you should head indoors when any thunderstorm is moving through your area.
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-- Meteorologist Michael Behrens
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