1980 Kalamazoo tornado

Kalamazoo Tornado of 1980

Formed	May 13, 1980, 4:09 pm EDT
Max rating^1	F3 tornado
Damage	$50,000,000
Areas affected	Kalamazoo, Michigan, United States
^1Most severe tornado damage; see Fujita scale

Map of the tornado path.

The Kalamazoo Tornado of 1980 struck downtown Kalamazoo, Michigan, on May 13, 1980. The tornado, which touched down at 4:09 pm, was rated F3 on the Fujita scale. The tornado killed 5 people and injured 79. Damage was estimated at $50,000,000.^[1]

The tornado left a path of destruction 11 miles (18 km) long during its approximately 20-minute duration.^[2] 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 outage 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.^[3]

See also

• List of North American tornadoes and tornado outbreaks

References

1. "Kalamazoo 1980 Tornado". Kalamazoo County, Michigan, Genealogy and Local History. Archived from the original on February 10, 2009. Retrieved July 30, 2006.
2. "TWISTER! The 1980 Tornado". Kalamazoo Public Library – Local History. Archived from the original on 27 May 2010. Retrieved June 9, 2010.
3. "TORNADO!". Vanished Kalamazoo. Archived from the original on 8 September 2006. Retrieved July 30, 2006.

External links

• The May 13, 1980 Kalamazoo Tornado case study (Grand Rapids office of the National Weather Service)
• Kalamazoo 1980 tornado MIGenWeb – Michigan Genealoty on the Web
• TWISTER! The 1980 Tornado Kalamazoo Public Library – Local History
• Kalamazoo, Michigan Tornado, Tuesday May 13, 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.