XV. Acknowledgments

NOAA’s National Weather Service Grand Rapids, Michigan.

Randy Graham for all his work, help and research in developing our Significant Tornado Climatology for Lower Michigan (which includes the May 13, 1980 Kalamazoo case).

Kalamazoo Gazette and Kalamazoo Public Library: Many of the post-tornado photos, damage reports and testimonials were obtained from the Kalamazoo Public Library’s archives of the Kalamazoo Gazette. Information obtained from the Kalamazoo Gazette including photos, testimonials, graphics and damage information was utilized extensively in our research.

George Wetzel and Blake Naftel for providing video footage of the Kalamazoo tornado (which we will keep in our video library for anyone who would like to see it) as well as a barograph chart from a bank in Kalamazoo which was struck by the tornado (can be seen in “Significant Tornadoes 1680-1991” book by Thomas Grazulis, also in our library).

Bob Dukesherer for converting tornado video footage into MPEG format, which we incorporated into this case study.

Dr. Paul Markowski, Penn State University.

Dr. T. Theodore Fujita, University of Chicago.

Kottke, John, National Weather Service Grand Rapids, Michigan (retired)

Warning Decision Training Branch: 2002 Tornado Warning Guidance

Storm Prediction Center

National Severe Storms Laboratory

Markowski, P. M., J. M. Straka, E. N. Rasmussen, D. O. Blanchard, 1998: “Variability of Storm-Relative Helicity during VORTEX.” Mon. Wea. Rev., 126, 2959-2971.

McDonald, James R., P.E. “Storm Damage Investigation of Kalamazoo, Michigan Tornado of May 13,1980.” Prepared for the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Site Safety Research Branch, Division of Reactor Safety Research. July, 1980. Institute for Disaster Research, Texas Tech University.

Grazulis, Thomas P. “Significant Tornadoes 1680-1991.”

Hodler, Thomas W. “Residents Preparedness and Response to the Kalamazoo Tornado.” Department of Geography, University of Georgia.

  1. Introduction
  2. Methodology
  3. Large Scale Synoptic Pattern over the United States on May 13, 1980
  4. Hourly Surface Weather Maps Focused on Great Lakes Region from 12 UTC May 13 to 00 UTC May 14
  5. Observed 12 UTC Soundings for Flint, MI and Peoria, IL and Data Derived from them
  6. Modified Flint Sounding
  7. Flint and Peoria hodographs from 12Z observed soundings
  8. Modified Peoria Hodograph (using 18 UTC surface winds in AZO)
  9. What are our most important significant research findings? What do we believe caused the Kalamazoo tornado? What can we learn from this? How can we use this information to aid in anticipating tornadogenesis in the Grand Rapids CWA?
  10. So what exactly happened? Chronology of events occurring between 3:30 and 4:25 p.m. EDT across Van Buren and Kalamazoo Counties.
  11. Tornado Victims
  12. Dr. T. Theodore Fujita’s Kalamazoo Tornado Findings
  13. A Personal Account of the Kalamazoo Tragedy
  14. Bronson Park Devastated
  15. Acknowledgments
Return to The May 13, 1980 Kalamazoo Tornado Case Study Main Page
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