From April 2–3, 1956, a large, deadly tornado outbreak affected the Great Plains, parts of the South, and the upper Midwest in the contiguous United States, especially the Great Lakes region. The outbreak produced at least 55 tornadoes, including an F5 that devastated the Grand Rapids metropolitan area in the U.S. state of Michigan on April 3. It was one of three tornadoes to move across southwest Lower Michigan on that day. A fourth tornado struck north of the Manistee area, in the northern part of the peninsula. The Hudsonville–Standale tornado killed 18 and injured 333. It remains the fourth deadliest tornado on record in Michigan and is the most recent F5 on record there. Several other deadly, intense, long-tracked tornadoes also occurred during the outbreak. In addition to the fatalities in Kansas, Oklahoma, Michigan and Berlin, Wisconsin, three people were killed in Tennessee, one person in Kentucky and two more people in Wisconsin. In total, 39 were killed during the entire event.

Background

Tuesday, April 3, 1956, was a warm and humid day across most of the Midwestern U.S., the Great Lakes and the Ohio Valley. Temperatures in the areas affected by the worst of the outbreak were well into the 70s °F, approaching 80 F in Michigan, with anomalously high dew points—the latter exceeding 60 F near the shoreline of Lake Michigan. A potent low-pressure area accompanied an intense mid-latitude cyclone with a pronounced dry line located near the western Great Lakes. An attendant warm front extended eastward over Wisconsin, a vigorous cold front southward through Illinois. In tandem with the advancing trough, a strong jet stream with winds up to 135 kn extended over Little Rock, Arkansas, and impinged on the Upper Midwest. Prior to the arrival of the storms in the region, schools had closed earlier than usual due to the threat of severe weather. By late afternoon, the cold front crossed over the western Great Lakes including Lake Michigan.

Outbreak statistics

Confirmed tornadoes

Prior to 1990, there is a likely undercount of tornadoes, particularly E/F0–1, with reports of weaker tornadoes becoming more common as population increased. A sharp increase in the annual average E/F0–1 count by approximately 200 tornadoes was noted upon the implementation of NEXRAD Doppler weather radar in 1990–1991. 1974 marked the first year where significant tornado (E/F2+) counts became homogenous with contemporary values, attributed to the consistent implementation of Fujita scale assessments. Numerous discrepancies on the details of tornadoes in this outbreak exist between sources. The total count of tornadoes and ratings differs from various agencies accordingly. The list below documents information from the most contemporary official sources alongside assessments from tornado historian Thomas P. Grazulis.

Saugatuck–Gibson–Graafschap–Holland, Michigan

This violent tornado was the first member of a long-lived, destructive family. It and the Hudsonville–Standale F5 are officially listed as a single, long-tracked, continuous tornado with a 58.8 mi path, but were retrospectively and separately determined by Thomas P. Grazulis and the National Weather Service to have been a family of two or more tornadoes, one of which was a 9 mi F4 (possibly an F5 as well) and the other a 48 mi F5, the latter being the most recent F5 tornado on record in the U.S. state of Michigan. The first tornado may have passed through or near Gibson and Graafschap, lifted near Holland, and passed aloft over Zeeland Charter Township before reforming into and touching down as a second tornado just east of town. This second tornado then continued northeast before lifting a short distance north of Trufant. The first member of the family developed over Lake Michigan and moved ashore a short distance south of Oval Beach, damaging a CBU building and several summer houses at Camp Gray. Heading north-northeastward, it passed near Mount Baldhead, wrecking a wooden beachfront home. An old, well-constructed, anchor-bolted lighthouse, fastened by a dozen iron pylons, was leveled, along with a trio of outbuildings and a cabin; all the pylons at the lighthouse were snapped or dislodged, indicating F4 winds. The tornado crossed part of the present-day Saugatuck Dunes State Park. Along the rest of its path, the tornado wrecked three homes—one brick, a pair frame, a twin-storied among the latter—and unroofed or destroyed a few barns. A few of the homes sustained at least F4 damage. Windows were smashed at a multi-story retail structure as well. Barns, outbuildings, and garages were wrecked along the path. Seven people were injured.

Vriesland–Hudsonville–Standale–Grand Rapids-Comstock Park–Trufant, Michigan

Beginning a short distance east of Vriesland in Ottawa County, Michigan, this extremely violent tornado formed shortly after the dissipation of the Saugatuck F4. Rapidly intensifying, it moved northeastward over the southwestern and northern suburbs of Grand Rapids, causing F5 damage to businesses and homes there. Within half an hour the tornado killed 13 people as it tracked from Hudsonville to Standale and thence to Comstock Park, the last of which would be hit by an F4 tornado on Palm Sunday in 1965. Homes in Hudsonville and Standale were cleanly swept away from their foundations, with only small pieces of debris recovered in some locations. At least one home was so obliterated that all the floor tiles had been completely scoured from the foundation. Vehicles nearby were tossed hundreds of yards and mangled beyond recognition. Extensive wind-rowing of debris was observed, and hundreds of trees were snapped and debarked as well. After devastating the Hudsonville–Standale area, the tornado continued northeastward, past Rockford, obliterating a home, destroying a mobile home park, and damaging several farmsteads before dissipating. 18 people were killed and 333 others were injured by the storm. This, the fourth deadliest tornado in Michigan on record, was the last F5 (confirmed and/or possible) in the U.S. state of Michigan and occurred three years after the Flint–Beecher tornado that killed 116. The tornado that struck the Grand Rapids area was the inspiration for the La Dispute song "Hudsonville, MI 1956". Meanwhile, Hudsonville would be hit directly by a brief-but-strong F2 tornado just one year later, although that tornado caused no casualties.<ref name="VrieslandSummary">Multiple sources:

Bangor–Allegan–Lowell, Michigan

This intense, long-lived tornado family passed through or near Bangor, Bloomingdale, and the southern half of Allegan. Near the Van Buren–Allegan County line, it leveled a farmhouse and swept away several lakeside cabins; the farmhouse may have sustained F4 damage, but may not have been sufficiently well built, so only F3 damage is confirmable. In Allegan, the tornado mostly unroofed a road commission building and a factory, and 12 or more farms reported severe losses to livestock. Afterward, the tornado weakened, veered rightward, and may have lifted and reformed into a new event, as no structural damage occurred and damage to vegetation was lighter than elsewhere along the path. The tornado then re-intensified in Barry and Kent counties, badly damaging many farms. In all, the tornado destroyed 29 homes, mostly at low-end F3 intensity. A dozen people were injured.

Sources