The Kalamazoo Tornado of 1980 struck downtown Kalamazoo, Michigan

Kalamazoo, Michigan

The area on which the modern city stands was once home to Native Americans of the Hopewell culture, who migrated into the area sometime before the first millennium. Evidence of their early residency remains in the form of a small mound in downtown's Bronson Park. The Hopewell civilization began to...

, on May 13, 1980. The tornado, which touched down at 4:09 pm, was rated F3 on the Fujita scale

Fujita scale

The Fujita scale , or Fujita-Pearson scale, is a scale for rating tornado intensity, based primarily on the damage tornadoes inflict on human-built structures and vegetation...

. The tornado killed 5 people and injured 79. Damage was estimated at $50,000,000.

The tornado left a path of destruction 11 miles (17.7 km) long during its approximately 20-minute duration. It was notable for having struck the heart of downtown, damaging or destroying many notable buildings, parks, and landmarks.The massive F3 caused a power outtage so extensive, phone companies pleaded for people to only use phones for emergencies. In total, the storm caused 5 deaths, 79 injuries, and about 1,200 people were left homeless.

External links

• The May 13, 1980 Kalamazoo Tornado case study (Grand Rapids
  Grand Rapids, Michigan
  Grand Rapids is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. The city is located on the Grand River about 40 miles east of Lake Michigan. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 188,040. In 2010, the Grand Rapids metropolitan area had a population of 774,160 and a combined statistical area, Grand...
  
   office of the National Weather Service
  National Weather Service
  The National Weather Service , once known as the Weather Bureau, is one of the six scientific agencies that make up the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration of the United States government...
  
  )
• Kalamazoo 1980 tornado MIGenWeb - Michigan Genealoty on the Web
• TWISTER! The 1980 Tornado Kalamazoo Public Library - Local History
• Kalamazoo, Michigan Tornado, Tuesday 13-May-1980 YouTube Video
• The Kalamazoo Tornado - May 13, 1980 YouTube Video
• "Kalamazoo 1980 Tornado". Kalamazoo County, Michigan, Genealogy and Local History. Archived from the original on 2007-02-19. Retrieved 2006-07-30.