ALLEGAN COUNTY, MI — National Weather Service meteorologists have confirmed that an EF-0 tornado touched down near Douglas, causing damage to a couple of structures.
Meteorologist Jim Maczko confirmed the weak tornado touched down after surveying the scene and damage on Friday, Aug. 12.
The tornado destroyed a pole barn-type building, tossed a trampoline through the air and sent a tree crashing onto a house.
Weather Service officials say the tornado went through the area about 2:10 p.m. with a line of storms that also brought heavy rain.
In fact, Grand Rapids received almost two inches of rain in one hour, from 2:53 p.m. to 3:53 p.m.
Ernie Ostuno, another Weather Service meteorologist, said Maczko went to check out the area near Douglas after learning of damage reports. Radar also had indicated the possibility of a tornado in the area.
Ostuno said the tornado hit an area along Riverside Road near 62nd Street and likely was short-lived.
It also caused tree damage in the area.
An EF-0 tornado involves wind speeds of 65 to 85 mph, enough to bring down certain types of outbuildings.
“It sounds like the path was pretty narrow and not very long,” Ostuno said about the Douglas area tornado.
At the scene, Maczko found insulation quite a distance from the outbuilding as well as a trampoline that flew quite a distance — two factors that helped meteorologists make the confirmation of a tornado.
By: By John Tunison Posted: August 12, 2016 at 10:14 PM, updated August 13, 2016 at 1:14 AM
Photo: By The National Weather Service “An EF0 tornado destroyed an outbuilding near Douglas on Friday, Aug. 12”
