Severe thunderstorms brought primarily damaging wind gusts to southern portions of the Grand Rapids county warning area.  The severe storms developed ahead of a cold front that swept across Michigan during the afternoon and evening hours.  There were two areas where wind damage was rated EF-0 on the Enhanced Fujita Scale with wind gusts estimated between 65 and 85 mph.  The first occurred in the city of Vicksburg in Kalamazoo county and the second occurred in the city of Marshall in Calhoun county.  A National Weather Service survey team was able to survey about 80% of the area affected by the severe thunderstorms.  The storms also occurred at the very beginning of green-up with most deciduous trees just beginning to bud-out.

Thunderstorm Wind in INGHAM, MICHIGAN
From 25-APR-09 12:10:00 to 25-APR-09 12:10:00 (EST-5)
Location: ENSEL
Magnitude: 46.00 EG
Property damage: 10.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Trained Spotter

A large tree fell on utility wires snapping six utility poles. The tree was partially rotten.  A 46 knot wind gust was measured with the same storm at the Lansing Airport located 3 miles north-northwest of the damage.  An NWS Survey team also noted isolated tree damage 4 miles south along Interstate 96 between mile markers 101 and 104.

Thunderstorm Wind in JACKSON, MICHIGAN
From 25-APR-09 12:04:00 to 25-APR-09 12:04:00 (EST-5)
Location: (JXN)REYNOLDS FLD JA
Magnitude: 53.00 MG
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Official NWS Observations

A wind gust of 61 mph  was measured by the ASOS at the Jackson County Airport. An NWS storm survey team did not find any damage beyond a few small branches down in areas adjacent to the airport or in the city of Jackson itself.

Thunderstorm Wind in KALAMAZOO, MICHIGAN
From 25-APR-09 15:33:00 to 25-APR-09 15:42:00 (EST-5)
Location: SCHOOLCRAFT
Magnitude: 65.00 EG
Property damage: 100.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: NWS Storm Survey

Wind damage began 4.5 miles southwest of Vicksburg and continued 8.5 miles to the northeast.  The greatest width of the damage was approximately 2.5 miles and was widest towards the end of the damage swath.  Primary damage was to trees with scattered large limbs and isolated trees uprooted.  The greatest concentration of damage, rated EF-0, occurred just southwest of downtown Vicksburg.  In this area an irrigation pivot was blown over and several 25 pound 1 foot by 3 foot plastic packing trays were lofted over a one to two story industrial building and blown up to 200 yards downwind.  Several large trees were also uprooted in downtown Vicksburg near the intersection of S. Kalamazoo and Prairie Streets.  The trees knocked down several wires on residential streets.

Thunderstorm Wind in JACKSON, MICHIGAN
From 25-APR-09 16:30:00 to 25-APR-09 16:30:00 (EST-5)
Location: MUNITH
Magnitude: 50.00 EG
Reported by: NWS Storm Survey

Roughly a 1 by 2 mile area of widely scattered tree damage was observed about two miles west-northwest of Tompkins.

Thunderstorm Wind in CALHOUN, MICHIGAN
From 25-APR-09 16:00:00 to 25-APR-09 16:18:00 (EST-5)
Location: CERESCO
Magnitude: 65.00 EG
Reported by: NWS Storm Survey

Damage began 4.5 miles west-southwest of Marshall and continued east-northeast for a total of 13 miles.  The damage swath was roughly two miles wide.  The greatest concentration occurred one to three miles west-southwest of town where numerous trees were knocked down and about 10 sections of an irrigation pivot were blown over.  Other damage included a few shingles blown off a house and a contruction trailer blown over. An NWS survey team estimated peak wind gusts of 65.0 knots.  The concentration of damage was much less from Marshall to the east-northeast where 50 knot winds were estimated based on widely scattered tree damage.

Thunderstorm Wind in INGHAM, MICHIGAN
From 25-APR-09 16:35:00 to 25-APR-09 16:40:00 (EST-5)
Location: ONONDAGA
Magnitude: 50.00 EG
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: NWS Storm Survey

Widely scattered tree damage began 1.75 miles east-northeast of Onondaga and continued just north of due east into Leslie.  There was a successive failure of 32 power poles on a north-south powerline about 1 mile west of Leslie.  Speaking with an engineer on the scene, his  thought was that the wooden poles were not quite robust enough to handle the weight of the 6 conductors and that the failure was preceeded by one or two poles that had started to lean due to wet ground conditions over the past several months.  The thunderstorm wind gust was then enough to overload one of the leaning poles causing it to snap near its base.  The falling pole then pulled on adjacent poles initiating a cascading failure both north and south of the initial failure.  The cascading failure was witnessed by a nearby resident.  The wooden poles were being replaced with steel towers.

Thunderstorm Wind in JACKSON, MICHIGAN
From 25-APR-09 16:30:00 to 25-APR-09 16:55:00 (EST-5)
Location: PARMA
Magnitude: 50.00 EG
Reported by: NWS Storm Survey

Widely scattered tree damage was observed from about one mile west of Parma to 18 miles east-northeast of Parma.  The swath was 2 to 3 miles wide.  Other than tree damage a highway billboard was blown down on Interstate-94 just outside of Parma.  Several eyewitnesses were interviewed to confirm that damage was from second storm.

Thunderstorm Wind in JACKSON, MICHIGAN
From 25-APR-09 16:40:00 to 25-APR-09 17:00:00 (EST-5)
Location: PLEASANT LAKE
Magnitude: 53.00 MG
Reported by: NWS Storm Survey

Scattered to widely scattered tree damage occurred including occasional uprooted trees along a 9 mile stretch from 2 miles west-southwest of Pleasant Lake to 2.5 miles southwest of Stockbridge.  The damage swath was 4 to 6 miles wide.  A measured 53 knot gust with pea sized hail occurred just north of Batteese Lake.  The damage crossed into extreme southeast Ingham County at 42.4284 north latitude and 84.2094 west longitude.  The damage continued east-northeast to at least the Livingston County line.