I was born, raised, and still live in Kalamazoo. This tornado happened 2.5 years before I was born. The man who died in Bronson Park was apparently a friend of my dad. I still have an original copy of the paper from the day after. I’ve been transfixed by tornadoes since I was 10. Seeing the old videos of the Kalamazoo tornado from 1980, and shoot, living through the warnings and seeing the videos from Portage on May 7 this year, it’s just an amazing, awe-inspiring thing.
I was in full leg traction after surgery, stuck in Borgess hospital when the tornado's hit Kalamazoo on May 13th, 1980. I was 16 years old. The traction bars on my hospital bed were too wide for it to be pushed out the doorway. All other patients were moved to the basement, including my roommate when the warning sirens began blaring. I and a few nurses were left behind to wait the storm out. The nurses stood by my window saying things like look, there's someone's roof, there's a tree, there's a trampoline. Siding, shingles, paper, clothes, and lots of debris was flying all over the place. I was stuck in bed and couldn't get up to even look out the window, All I could do was pray it didn't hit the hospital and that my family and friends would be okay.
So yes, I WAS THERE, the next day. When we drove into town, thru downtown, to meet a friend it was as you said: out in the rural area there was a "trench" of sorts dug up thru a farmer's field that we assumed was a result of the tornado, as it followed path from one destroyed barn to the next. We were impressed. Our friend was a DJ at a radio station in the downtown, who reported was working when IT hit. He witnessed part of the building he was in being torn up, off, away, claiming it was more shocking than scary. The rumble caused by the wind he said was the scary part, as it neared. Was pretty awesome is all I can say, especially that store that had the wall torn off. Amazing. Our DJ pal stated he watched that happen, suggesting it was like a war zone. Also, even the next day slash morning the downtown was still eerily empty as we thought there'd be all sorts of emergency vehicles and clean up crews everywhere, but not so - like the city was still STUNNED!
I saw the damage a few days later while visiting my college roommate. I thought it interesting that on West Main, the Methodist church had its roof damaged, the Baptist church had its door blown in and the Mormon church was destroyed. I’ve always wondered if there was some theological significance. 😏 Seriously, it was a truly awe inspiring as well as somber experience to see what a tornado can do. I’m sorry for the loss of life and proud of the city’s rebound. It’s a great place.
i was born in '93, long after this tornado. growing up, i would hear stories from my mother and grandparents about that day. at the time, my mother lived in westwood with her mother and grandmother. the tornado bounced over their house. one day when i was a kid, my mom and i were out driving, killing time. she decided to go visit the old neighborhood. she pointed out the house she had lived in at the time. there were a few houses quite clearly a lot newer on the neighboring streets. she was 9 years old when that tornado went through. the tornado that hit this year happened to be on my nephew's birthday. i had taken the day off to spend time with him. i had planned to take him to craig's cruisers in grand rapids, but with the rain we ended up hitting target to go toy shopping then went out for sushi in texas township. the tornado was about a couple miles south when we were at the restaurant... wound up destroying a building a few blocks from my work.
Red Cross volunteer here. We're here for you 24-7-365. Tornados are not to be taken lightly. I was shocked to see the recent damage in Wellington Florida. My late parents had a home near there. A trash compactor landed on top of a home. Scary stuff.
Thank you Chuck and Poppins. I was a 22 year old delivery boy from Grand Rapids. The tornado came through when I was in Portage. Got turned away when I got to downtown and West Main street deliveries. Great coverage in this video.
I was 10 and lived in Westwood, we heard the sirens, saw the tornado coming and got into the basement. It skipped our street but hit a couple blocks east of us. My memories are vivid. Thanks for sharing!
I was 10 years old; grew up just east of Kalamazoo and remember that day very well. Thanks for this story - I didn’t know/remember the cemetery being hit.
Remember it all to well. My Mom worked at Bronson Hospital at the time. The apartments I live in now, were hit by the tornado of 2024 in portage. Love your channel, I have been to most of the areas you visit over the years. Thanks for sharing.
I witnessed the tornado from home a block away. My parents were at work. Mom worked in a downtown office, 2 buildings away from Gilmores department store where an exterior wall collapsed. It's shown in the video . Certainly a day I've never forgotten.
Another great video Poppin and Chuck. I was a student photojournalist for the Michigan State University daily newspaper, and travelled to Kalamazoo the next morning to document the devastation. My wife (who I wouldn’t meet until 1994) was working at downtown Bronson Hospital and watched the tornado approach from the west. Coincidentally, I moved to Kalamazoo 10 years later, and still call it home. A terrible tragedy for the city, especially those who lost their lives.
I appreciate you Poppin and Chuck😎 Your tourist videos are so unique and just inspires one to learn more. The places you visit are ones I have visited or would like too and some I have never even heard of. Have a wonderful weekend! Thank you🫶🌈
When one of the descriptions of the Kalamazoo tornado was a cloudline of "boiling green", I jumped. I grew up in Texas and Arkansas, and lemme tell you - most of the thunderstorms Michigan gets are just fun little spectacles for me. As soon as I see any green in the clouds, however, I know when to bail and get to my safety spot!
Lived north in Rockford spring of 1980. Western Michigan seemed like a tornado alley with those warning sirens were always going off. Or tornado warnings in school us hunched in the hallways.
I was bartending at a restaurant Great Lakes Steaks Co (Great Lakes Shipping Co.). About a mile from the tornado. One hour after the tornado our bar was overflowing with people to tell their "story" about their experience. The trip home took forever because of closed roads, the home next to ours was gone, ours was untouched (near the cemetery).
I remember this day. I was at 6th grade camp north of Muskegon. The counselors gathered us all together to announce a tornado had hit Kalamazoo. It was a soggy 6th grade camp that week.
"They were in a bit of a daze, I think". Talk about an understatement! More like completely gobsmacked, undoubtedly suffering from severe shock. Remember, this was long before devastating catastrophes became the norm as they are today.
Hey Chuck and Poppins, I was born in Kalamazoo and lived most of my life in Portage. I went to school at Oregon state university and while my family and friends were experiencing that tornado I was experiencing the Mt. St.Helens volcano which occurred just 5 days later. I don’t know if one can profess one-upmanship on tragedies but…. The timing is/was interesting.
I was at the Sec of State's office on Stockbridge when the sirens went off. I traveled east on Lake St. all while the tornado was tearing up Kazoo. I really was driving paralell to the thing down Lake St. past the fair grounds up to Sprinkle Rd. My wife worked at Bowers Mfg just past Sprinkle. It was at this point the tornado lifted. I went over to Bowers to check if wife was ok and saw the roof of the building had been lifted and then sat back down. I went inside and everybody was walking around in a daze. Richard's Plumbing next door was missing the front of their building. I drove up to Riverside cemetery where there's a good view of downtown Kazoo and saw the ISB building was missing all its windows. There's a video on YT taken from The Sound Room just as the tornado was about to hit downtown. It was quite a day and I'll never forget it. The tornado that hit Portage on May 7 just missed my apt by about a half mile.
I spent three days photographing damage for Howard Wolpe... The statue of St Augustine was set upright next to the pedestal, but the head was gone... it was later found in the woods in Galesburg... By the time it hit downtown, it had split into three tornadoes...
I was working in the path of this tornado. A photographer took a photo of it and I was in the photo pointing at it. After it hit we were involved in some of the cleanup. The damage to the buildings I was working at was extensive. No one around the area was hurt, but the whole neighborhood was destroyed. I saw a 2x4 sticking out of a house behind the buildings I was working at. I worked at the corner of West main and Nichols road. I had plenty of work for the future after this tornado.
I was there, right in the middle of it. I will never forget it. I worked at the bank on the convention center, the devastation was unreal. My girlfriend worked in the ISB building, they were safe in the basement, but she said the ceiling was moving up and down. Several people were hurt when the facade of the Gilmore building collapsed, because they were told to leave the building as they thought the old building couldn’t withstand the tornado.
I remember it well. Living in St. Joe. Was in Kazoo week before and week after. Night and day total devastation. Amazing amount of trees & debris on all roads. Could hardly drive through the area. It just followed along M43 from West to East. Tore up farmhouses and barns along the way.
I’m always intrigued by the research you do. It’s impressive. I’ve been moving this week to a different house so it was nice just to relax tonight and catch up with you guys. May the wind be at your back but not too strong of wind
I was a 8th grade student @ St Augustine on that day. I don't remember getting sent home early that day. i don't think we were, in fact I was supposed to meet my girlfriend on the top floor of the parking ramp you were on but she couldn't make it for some reason. Probably saved our lives since cars where blown off that ramp. I watched tornado from our backyard on Woodward. Yes I was outside watching it as it traveled down West Main. Great video!
My Mom was in the middle of the tornado, working at The Upjohn Company at the corner of Lovell and Portage (I forget the exact building number, across from the Bronson Hospital complex). After the tornado knocked down the Gilmore Bros. back wall, it “hopped” over the Upjohn complex including the new chemical laboratory research building. And fortunately completely missed Bronson Hospital just south of Lovell. Upjohn normally let out at 4:30, and my Dad usually picked up my Mom. The closest he could get was to park a bit south on Portage Rd. and walk in. He said that there was glass and debris all over the place. Minutes after the tornado went through, the sky was clear and it was a beautiful evening. The Portage tornado earlier this year that ran down Centre Ave. would have been close to where we lived in 1980 which was just south of the Portage Central complex.
Those of us who lived in the Kalamazoo area knew how beautiful and full of trees Bronson Park was. The first time I could actually see the buildings on the north side of the park from the steps of the Civic Theater or Second Presbyterian on the south side was after the tornado was after the tornado. They lost practically every tree. Every window in the 10-story ISB building was shattered due to the tornado twisting the glass and metal building a fraction of a degree.
Seems like Downriver Detroit got remnants of that, maybe a different storm, but 1980 as well. A lot of downed trees and limbs that week in my parents' neighborhood.
I was 10 years old when the tornado hit. I still have drawings I did of downtown Kalamazoo, the bridge behind Gilmore’s that was destroyed. I lived about 2 miles from there. The West Main cemetery’s trees were wiped out. It was so beautiful before the twister took them out. Never heard about any coffins popping out of the ground though.
I attended Howell High School whose current building was under construction from 1978-1981 and the architect was based in Kalamazoo. Supposedly the tornado damaged the architect's office and destroyed the original plans and records halfway through construction and they had to recreate them from the bid plans that were floating around in order to finish it. The auditorium was delayed almost 2 years. It was a huge setback for the architect who never really fully recovered, work was already drying up due to a recession. Coincidentally, the new $26M building (which was said to be the most expensive high school built in the state at that time) was built so well that they didn't even make us go downstairs or leave the classroom during tornadoes, I guess it could survive a twister. Not a lot of windows. Really nice building though, I was lucky to go there. In 2001 I was nearly caught up in a twister in Hartland while driving. Last year a big one hit near Williamston and you can see the damage from I-96 near miles 119-117 where it followed the freeway. 150-year-old trees were sucked clean out of the ground and sent hundreds of yards away. Any tree that didn't get sucked up completely had all of its leaves stripped bare. Took out several houses but left ones right next door completely fine. It's incredible to see.
I-96 was closed for weeks after that tornado just to clear trees and debris which remain stacked in a massive log pile in the median, though I saw them loading them into dumpsters recently. Not sure why they would just throw giant logs away, hopefully just using them as containers for transport.
Went just off of west main and made a bees line to downtown. Kalamazoo’s tallest building, believe it was the IBS Building, your typical square, all window building, had every windows blown out. Cars were piled up on the civic building. I’m surprised it was only rated an f3.
I would LOVE to see someone do this type of video on the Joplin tornado that I lived through. Love your videos Chuck and I look forward to everyone that comes out. The Joplin tornado was wild and like nothing else. Two cells came together and made a super cell a mile wide. Imagine that running across from east to west across any city center. The only reason there wasn't more deaths was because it happened on a Sunday evening. We woke up the next day to every major weather/news anchor in America in our town reporting. It was surreal. The devastation was more than your eye could take, in every direction.
I was downtown Kazoo a 1/2 hour before it hit. Thankfully, I was in Parchment when it hit but was caught in a hail storm that was rapidly traveling toward the vortex and took refuge in a neighbors garage.
Yeah, when the roots of big trees in a cemetery are uprooted by a tornado it plays havoc with graves. The same thing happened to a cemetery in Lenawee County near Devils Lake as a result of the 1965 Palm Sunday tornado. Or I should say tornadoes, plural, as we had two about 45 minutes apart, where the second closely followed the track of the first one. According to what I’ve seen those graves were quietly fixed up afterward with a bare mention of the damage.
I was in 5th grade at St. Augustine School in 1980. School let out at 2:45 pm every day, not because of weather. I was at home in Westwood when I saw the tornado across the street. Our clocks stopped at 4:07 pm. It hit five houses down from mine.
@@marthahayden6021 I remember things from that day better than what I did five minutes ago. It was a defining moment in my life and the reason I have a keen interest in weather. You don't forget watching something get sucked upwards into a tornado and State Police blocking off your street for two weeks! Thank you for sharing the story since it was a long time ago and many people in Kalamazoo don't know about it.
I moved to the Westwood neighborhood in 84. The house I live in now just received minor wind damage, while the two houses next to mine to the North, were destroyed. The whole neighborhood was devastated. My wife and I experienced this and the Blizzard of 78 in Kalamazoo.
I remember when this tornado went through. It was right at the height of the IHL hockey playoffs, (which the K-Wings won!) and I know other communities in the area sent supplies to Kalamazoo.
Was disc golfing ( Frisbee disc we called it then ) that day In BC at the Leila Arboretum, remember hearing sirens and noticing how green the sky got, yes bad day!
In July of 1980, the "Green Storm" hit southeastern Michigan. It was a derecho. As Kalamazoo was rebuilding, we faced another significant weather event in Michigan.
And, we just got hit again this summer, a few miles south in Portage. This one was a very high EF2. In 1980, I was 5 years old and remember it clear as day. I was visiting my dad for the weekend, and we watched it from his back porch. At the time, I didn't understand the devastation, but I did think it was awesome that a bridal gown from Gilmores was hanging in the tree in our front yard when it was done. I remember the phone lines were down, and we couldn't contact my mom to tell her we were ok. Now, as a mom, I can not even imagine what she went through. My grandfather owned The Sharp Shop, the local chainsaw shop, and him, my dad, and my uncle worked on cleaning up the trees.
The Kalamazoo Valley Museum has a whole display on it, and this is a really good supplement to it. For an encore, the tornado that hit Portage Michigan in May 2024.
My Cousin's wife is from Port Huron. They had a tornado go down the street her family lived on. It picked up her Uncle's car and set it down on top of a bridge iron works. I don't know how they got it down from there. She claims there is a picture that exists showing the car on top of the bridge.I would love to see that picture
I'm surprised you didn't mention the tornado that hit Portage this year. It's not Kalamazoo but you can't tell when you leave one and enter the other. It was almost a F3 and you can easily walk the path of devastation today. It would have given your video great visual impact. It went from the west side of town and out the east side. It was just south of what you might call the city center and mainly hit peoples houses and took out a Fed Ex warehouse. I was surprised how many places I lived over the years were within 100 yards of that thing. I missed seeing it because I choose the wrong side to exit my apartment building to go look at the sky. The sky looked scary but the three story building hid the tornado that was half a mile to a mile behind me. I messaged my mom and told her "I might actually get hit by this one". Wasn't too far off.
My sister lived and worked in K-zoo at the time. Many of the news pictures the next few days were from their office as they were a video equipment repair facility so there was equipment available. While most of them ran to the basement one of her co-workers grabbed a camera and started shooting.
I remember this tornado very well, I was able to pee into that tornado and mark over a mile of land in seconds. Yes my parents were proud of me & no male crossed my boundries.
I live in Okemos Michigan and have been alarmed by the tornado activity locally. My nearby hometown has been hit hard twice in about 12 years, whereas that never used to happen. Have you done a report about the Flint tornadoes in 1953?
I lived in Paw Paw and was outside working sky got dark but other than a bit of rain nothing. Had friends living on M-43 the insurance companies made them throw out all their food stored in cupboards they said that even though they had minor damage the winds were strong enough to blow pieces of glass and dirt into their packaged food. sometimes particles so small you would not see them.
I wasn’t alive at the time but my grandfather was at Stewart & Clark - now Stewart & Co furniture. and survived under his desk. Im unsure exactly if it hit the building or not because its a more distant relative that owns it now and my grandfather is no longer alive
Also you’re saying your final resting place is by Borgess so you guys live relatively near. Wild i found your channel researching the UP now I’m learning more about a place i grew up miles from!
The bigger storm across the area did a lot of damage itself. No power in town for days. Kzoo was a so very different. I see a lot of empty streets with the new age parking and road diets.
Wow, so interesting. I don't remember the Kalamazoo tornado that year. I have been through 2 in 1 day, A F5 and a F4 I believe on palm Sunday in 1965. I was very young but remember parts of it. Luckily we were at a family Easter dinner in alagansee Michigan and the tornadoes hit Coldwater lake in Branch county. My family found what left of cupboards full of duck feathers but no ducks. Neighbor swears he saw the first tornado suck all the water out of the lake. Here is a must watch on the outbreak. ua-cam.com/video/2SzLsHlB5BI/v-deo.htmlsi=p8Qy5yx-8e3oQhhr
The Kalamazoo tornado in 1980 was filmed as it came toward downtown by Ted Ruble, an employee of a store called The Sound Room on the corner of W. Main and Westnedge with a newfangled device called a camcorder that he took off the shelf. His footage of the tornado approaching is considered the very first amateur weather footage of its kind. He wandered around downtown and filmed the aftermath minutes after the funnel had passed. Its fascinating to watch. Especially as a local. Here's a link for anyone who wants to watch it: ua-cam.com/video/sYRGQa7mRus/v-deo.html
I was born, raised, and still live in Kalamazoo. This tornado happened 2.5 years before I was born. The man who died in Bronson Park was apparently a friend of my dad. I still have an original copy of the paper from the day after. I’ve been transfixed by tornadoes since I was 10. Seeing the old videos of the Kalamazoo tornado from 1980, and shoot, living through the warnings and seeing the videos from Portage on May 7 this year, it’s just an amazing, awe-inspiring thing.
I was in full leg traction after surgery, stuck in Borgess hospital when the tornado's hit Kalamazoo on May 13th, 1980. I was 16 years old. The traction bars on my hospital bed were too wide for it to be pushed out the doorway. All other patients were moved to the basement, including my roommate when the warning sirens began blaring. I and a few nurses were left behind to wait the storm out. The nurses stood by my window saying things like look, there's someone's roof, there's a tree, there's a trampoline. Siding, shingles, paper, clothes, and lots of debris was flying all over the place. I was stuck in bed and couldn't get up to even look out the window, All I could do was pray it didn't hit the hospital and that my family and friends would be okay.
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From one Michigander to another thank you for your work.
Wow, nice work. I can see the work that went into this reasearch, photographs, news footage & even an interview. 👍
So yes, I WAS THERE, the next day. When we drove into town, thru downtown, to meet a friend it was as you said: out in the rural area there was a "trench" of sorts dug up thru a farmer's field that we assumed was a result of the tornado, as it followed path from one destroyed barn to the next. We were impressed. Our friend was a DJ at a radio station in the downtown, who reported was working when IT hit. He witnessed part of the building he was in being torn up, off, away, claiming it was more shocking than scary. The rumble caused by the wind he said was the scary part, as it neared. Was pretty awesome is all I can say, especially that store that had the wall torn off. Amazing. Our DJ pal stated he watched that happen, suggesting it was like a war zone. Also, even the next day slash morning the downtown was still eerily empty as we thought there'd be all sorts of emergency vehicles and clean up crews everywhere, but not so - like the city was still STUNNED!
I saw the damage a few days later while visiting my college roommate. I thought it interesting that on West Main, the Methodist church had its roof damaged, the Baptist church had its door blown in and the Mormon church was destroyed. I’ve always wondered if there was some theological significance. 😏 Seriously, it was a truly awe inspiring as well as somber experience to see what a tornado can do. I’m sorry for the loss of life and proud of the city’s rebound. It’s a great place.
i was born in '93, long after this tornado. growing up, i would hear stories from my mother and grandparents about that day. at the time, my mother lived in westwood with her mother and grandmother. the tornado bounced over their house. one day when i was a kid, my mom and i were out driving, killing time. she decided to go visit the old neighborhood. she pointed out the house she had lived in at the time. there were a few houses quite clearly a lot newer on the neighboring streets. she was 9 years old when that tornado went through.
the tornado that hit this year happened to be on my nephew's birthday. i had taken the day off to spend time with him. i had planned to take him to craig's cruisers in grand rapids, but with the rain we ended up hitting target to go toy shopping then went out for sushi in texas township. the tornado was about a couple miles south when we were at the restaurant... wound up destroying a building a few blocks from my work.
Red Cross volunteer here. We're here for you 24-7-365. Tornados are not to be taken lightly. I was shocked to see the recent damage in Wellington Florida. My late parents had a home near there. A trash compactor landed on top of a home. Scary stuff.
Thank you Chuck and Poppins. I was a 22 year old delivery boy from Grand Rapids. The tornado came through when I was in Portage. Got turned away when I got to downtown and West Main street deliveries. Great coverage in this video.
I was 10 and lived in Westwood, we heard the sirens, saw the tornado coming and got into the basement. It skipped our street but hit a couple blocks east of us. My memories are vivid. Thanks for sharing!
Another great video. I understand this presentation better than the news media at the time presented. Thank you both
I was 10 years old; grew up just east of Kalamazoo and remember that day very well. Thanks for this story - I didn’t know/remember the cemetery being hit.
Thank you guys for sharing your awesome adventures and history lessons.
Remember it all to well. My Mom worked at Bronson Hospital at the time. The apartments I live in now, were hit by the tornado of 2024 in portage. Love your channel, I have been to most of the areas you visit over the years. Thanks for sharing.
I was working second shift at Stryker, just a few miles away on Alcott street when that came through. I will never forget.
You two are wonderful story tellers!! Thanks for sharing 😊
I witnessed the tornado from home a block away. My parents were at work. Mom worked in a downtown office, 2 buildings away from Gilmores department store where an exterior wall collapsed. It's shown in the video . Certainly a day I've never forgotten.
Another great video Poppin and Chuck.
I was a student photojournalist for the Michigan State University daily newspaper, and travelled to Kalamazoo the next morning to document the devastation.
My wife (who I wouldn’t meet until 1994) was working at downtown Bronson Hospital and watched the tornado approach from the west.
Coincidentally, I moved to Kalamazoo 10 years later, and still call it home.
A terrible tragedy for the city, especially those who lost their lives.
I appreciate you Poppin and Chuck😎 Your tourist videos are so unique and just inspires one to learn more.
The places you visit are ones I have visited or would like too and some I have never even heard of.
Have a wonderful weekend!
Thank you🫶🌈
Your content continues to impress. Thank you from the zoo!
You should check out the history of the 1953 Flint tornado.
When one of the descriptions of the Kalamazoo tornado was a cloudline of "boiling green", I jumped. I grew up in Texas and Arkansas, and lemme tell you - most of the thunderstorms Michigan gets are just fun little spectacles for me. As soon as I see any green in the clouds, however, I know when to bail and get to my safety spot!
Lived north in Rockford spring of 1980.
Western Michigan seemed like a tornado alley with those warning sirens were always going off.
Or tornado warnings in school us hunched in the hallways.
Hi Poppin&Chuck another great video 😊
I enjoy your stories very much - you two are really good :)
I was bartending at a restaurant Great Lakes Steaks Co (Great Lakes Shipping Co.). About a mile from the tornado. One hour after the tornado our bar was overflowing with people to tell their "story" about their experience. The trip home took forever because of closed roads, the home next to ours was gone, ours was untouched (near the cemetery).
I remember this day. I was at 6th grade camp north of Muskegon. The counselors gathered us all together to announce a tornado had hit Kalamazoo. It was a soggy 6th grade camp that week.
"They were in a bit of a daze, I think". Talk about an understatement! More like completely gobsmacked, undoubtedly suffering from severe shock. Remember, this was long before devastating catastrophes became the norm as they are today.
Hey Chuck and Poppins, I was born in Kalamazoo and lived most of my life in Portage. I went to school at Oregon state university and while my family and friends were experiencing that tornado I was experiencing the Mt. St.Helens volcano which occurred just 5 days later. I don’t know if one can profess one-upmanship on tragedies but…. The timing is/was interesting.
I just love you two and your adventures. 💙💙💙
I was at the Sec of State's office on Stockbridge when the sirens went off. I traveled east on Lake St. all while the tornado was tearing up Kazoo. I really was driving paralell to the thing down Lake St. past the fair grounds up to Sprinkle Rd. My wife worked at Bowers Mfg just past Sprinkle. It was at this point the tornado lifted. I went over to Bowers to check if wife was ok and saw the roof of the building had been lifted and then sat back down. I went inside and everybody was walking around in a daze. Richard's Plumbing next door was missing the front of their building. I drove up to Riverside cemetery where there's a good view of downtown Kazoo and saw the ISB building was missing all its windows. There's a video on YT taken from The Sound Room just as the tornado was about to hit downtown. It was quite a day and I'll never forget it. The tornado that hit Portage on May 7 just missed my apt by about a half mile.
What about the 1953 Flint tornado? I was 6. My dad took us from Detroit to see the damage. 116 dead. Would like to see you talk about it.
I spent three days photographing damage for Howard Wolpe... The statue of St Augustine was set upright next to the pedestal, but the head was gone... it was later found in the woods in Galesburg... By the time it hit downtown, it had split into three tornadoes...
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I was working in the path of this tornado. A photographer took a photo of it and I was in the photo pointing at it. After it hit we were involved in some of the cleanup. The damage to the buildings I was working at was extensive. No one around the area was hurt, but the whole neighborhood was destroyed. I saw a 2x4 sticking out of a house behind the buildings I was working at. I worked at the corner of West main and Nichols road. I had plenty of work for the future after this tornado.
I was there, right in the middle of it. I will never forget it. I worked at the bank on the convention center, the devastation was unreal. My girlfriend worked in the ISB building, they were safe in the basement, but she said the ceiling was moving up and down. Several people were hurt when the facade of the Gilmore building collapsed, because they were told to leave the building as they thought the old building couldn’t withstand the tornado.
I remember it well. Living in St. Joe. Was in Kazoo week before and week after. Night and day total devastation. Amazing amount of trees & debris on all roads. Could hardly drive through the area. It just followed along M43 from West to East. Tore up farmhouses and barns along the way.
I’m always intrigued by the research you do. It’s impressive. I’ve been moving this week to a different house so it was nice just to relax tonight and catch up with you guys. May the wind be at your back but not too strong of wind
I love your historical romps around our lovely state.
Why do I really want to hear that guy sing "what a wonderful world"
I was a 8th grade student @ St Augustine on that day. I don't remember getting sent home early that day. i don't think we were, in fact I was supposed to meet my girlfriend on the top floor of the parking ramp you were on but she couldn't make it for some reason. Probably saved our lives since cars where blown off that ramp. I watched tornado from our backyard on Woodward. Yes I was outside watching it as it traveled down West Main. Great video!
My Mom was in the middle of the tornado, working at The Upjohn Company at the corner of Lovell and Portage (I forget the exact building number, across from the Bronson Hospital complex). After the tornado knocked down the Gilmore Bros. back wall, it “hopped” over the Upjohn complex including the new chemical laboratory research building. And fortunately completely missed Bronson Hospital just south of Lovell. Upjohn normally let out at 4:30, and my Dad usually picked up my Mom. The closest he could get was to park a bit south on Portage Rd. and walk in. He said that there was glass and debris all over the place. Minutes after the tornado went through, the sky was clear and it was a beautiful evening. The Portage tornado earlier this year that ran down Centre Ave. would have been close to where we lived in 1980 which was just south of the Portage Central complex.
Thanks again for some great insight to your part of the world.
Those of us who lived in the Kalamazoo area knew how beautiful and full of trees Bronson Park was. The first time I could actually see the buildings on the north side of the park from the steps of the Civic Theater or Second Presbyterian on the south side was after the tornado was after the tornado. They lost practically every tree. Every window in the 10-story ISB building was shattered due to the tornado twisting the glass and metal building a fraction of a degree.
Seems like Downriver Detroit got remnants of that, maybe a different storm, but 1980 as well. A lot of downed trees and limbs that week in my parents' neighborhood.
I was 10 years old when the tornado hit. I still have drawings I did of downtown Kalamazoo, the bridge behind Gilmore’s that was destroyed. I lived about 2 miles from there. The West Main cemetery’s trees were wiped out. It was so beautiful before the twister took them out. Never heard about any coffins popping out of the ground though.
I attended Howell High School whose current building was under construction from 1978-1981 and the architect was based in Kalamazoo. Supposedly the tornado damaged the architect's office and destroyed the original plans and records halfway through construction and they had to recreate them from the bid plans that were floating around in order to finish it. The auditorium was delayed almost 2 years. It was a huge setback for the architect who never really fully recovered, work was already drying up due to a recession. Coincidentally, the new $26M building (which was said to be the most expensive high school built in the state at that time) was built so well that they didn't even make us go downstairs or leave the classroom during tornadoes, I guess it could survive a twister. Not a lot of windows. Really nice building though, I was lucky to go there. In 2001 I was nearly caught up in a twister in Hartland while driving. Last year a big one hit near Williamston and you can see the damage from I-96 near miles 119-117 where it followed the freeway. 150-year-old trees were sucked clean out of the ground and sent hundreds of yards away. Any tree that didn't get sucked up completely had all of its leaves stripped bare. Took out several houses but left ones right next door completely fine. It's incredible to see.
I-96 was closed for weeks after that tornado just to clear trees and debris which remain stacked in a massive log pile in the median, though I saw them loading them into dumpsters recently. Not sure why they would just throw giant logs away, hopefully just using them as containers for transport.
Went just off of west main and made a bees line to downtown. Kalamazoo’s tallest building, believe it was the IBS Building, your typical square, all window building, had every windows blown out. Cars were piled up on the civic building. I’m surprised it was only rated an f3.
I would LOVE to see someone do this type of video on the Joplin tornado that I lived through. Love your videos Chuck and I look forward to everyone that comes out.
The Joplin tornado was wild and like nothing else. Two cells came together and made a super cell a mile wide. Imagine that running across from east to west across any city center. The only reason there wasn't more deaths was because it happened on a Sunday evening. We woke up the next day to every major weather/news anchor in America in our town reporting. It was surreal. The devastation was more than your eye could take, in every direction.
I was downtown Kazoo a 1/2 hour before it hit. Thankfully, I was in Parchment when it hit but was caught in a hail storm that was rapidly traveling toward the vortex and took refuge in a neighbors garage.
Good reporting. Good editing also.
Thanks!
Yeah, when the roots of big trees in a cemetery are uprooted by a tornado it plays havoc with graves. The same thing happened to a cemetery in Lenawee County near Devils Lake as a result of the 1965 Palm Sunday tornado. Or I should say tornadoes, plural, as we had two about 45 minutes apart, where the second closely followed the track of the first one. According to what I’ve seen those graves were quietly fixed up afterward with a bare mention of the damage.
I was in Kalamazoo at the time of the tornado attending WMU.
One more tale to add to Kalamazoo's Checker-ed past. It's been quite a Marathon through the city's history.
I'm from Kalamazoo. I remember this like it was yesterday. I graduated in 82.
I was in 5th grade at St. Augustine School in 1980. School let out at 2:45 pm every day, not because of weather. I was at home in Westwood when I saw the tornado across the street. Our clocks stopped at 4:07 pm. It hit five houses down from mine.
Thank you for your first hand account and clarifying your dismissal time. I was mistaken about the tornado watch being the reason for the dismissal.
@@marthahayden6021 I remember things from that day better than what I did five minutes ago. It was a defining moment in my life and the reason I have a keen interest in weather. You don't forget watching something get sucked upwards into a tornado and State Police blocking off your street for two weeks! Thank you for sharing the story since it was a long time ago and many people in Kalamazoo don't know about it.
I moved to the Westwood neighborhood in 84. The house I live in now just received minor wind damage, while the two houses next to mine to the North, were destroyed. The whole neighborhood was devastated.
My wife and I experienced this and the Blizzard of 78 in Kalamazoo.
I remember when this tornado went through. It was right at the height of the IHL hockey playoffs, (which the K-Wings won!) and I know other communities in the area sent supplies to Kalamazoo.
Was disc golfing ( Frisbee disc we called it then ) that day In BC at the Leila Arboretum, remember hearing sirens and noticing how green the sky got, yes bad day!
I was there but don’t remember the Gilmore dept store being hit.
In July of 1980, the "Green Storm" hit southeastern Michigan. It was a derecho. As Kalamazoo was rebuilding, we faced another significant weather event in Michigan.
I could hang with the old fellow on the corner....I'm sure that he has some stories! One more thing...Who was getting married?
❤
From your twisted sister, Great job! #mybrotheriscoolerthanyours and #sisterinlawiscoolerthanyours.
😂😂
And, we just got hit again this summer, a few miles south in Portage. This one was a very high EF2. In 1980, I was 5 years old and remember it clear as day. I was visiting my dad for the weekend, and we watched it from his back porch. At the time, I didn't understand the devastation, but I did think it was awesome that a bridal gown from Gilmores was hanging in the tree in our front yard when it was done. I remember the phone lines were down, and we couldn't contact my mom to tell her we were ok. Now, as a mom, I can not even imagine what she went through. My grandfather owned The Sharp Shop, the local chainsaw shop, and him, my dad, and my uncle worked on cleaning up the trees.
The Kalamazoo Valley Museum has a whole display on it, and this is a really good supplement to it. For an encore, the tornado that hit Portage Michigan in May 2024.
I ‘twas just a wee boy when the tornado hit Kalamazoo.
I was there. Well actually the was just outside of AZO when it hit, went downtown the next day.
I was in the federal building doing a report for government class remember it well
0:27 That man sounds just like Louis Armstrong,,lol
My Cousin's wife is from Port Huron. They had a tornado go down the street her family lived on. It picked up her Uncle's car and set it down on top of a bridge iron works. I don't know how they got it down from there. She claims there is a picture that exists showing the car on top of the bridge.I would love to see that picture
I'm surprised you didn't mention the tornado that hit Portage this year. It's not Kalamazoo but you can't tell when you leave one and enter the other. It was almost a F3 and you can easily walk the path of devastation today. It would have given your video great visual impact. It went from the west side of town and out the east side. It was just south of what you might call the city center and mainly hit peoples houses and took out a Fed Ex warehouse. I was surprised how many places I lived over the years were within 100 yards of that thing. I missed seeing it because I choose the wrong side to exit my apartment building to go look at the sky. The sky looked scary but the three story building hid the tornado that was half a mile to a mile behind me.
I messaged my mom and told her "I might actually get hit by this one". Wasn't too far off.
The laundry mat on the top of West Main Hill
I remember that!
I was a kid living in nearby Paw Paw when this happened.
My sister lived and worked in K-zoo at the time. Many of the news pictures the next few days were from their office as they were a video equipment repair facility so there was equipment available. While most of them ran to the basement one of her co-workers grabbed a camera and started shooting.
I was a kid then..lived in portage. We rode our bikes downtown..snuck past some roadblocks and got some photos of damaged buildings
I was 6 years old in 1980, so I don't even remember that one.
I remember this tornado very well, I was able to pee into that tornado and mark over a mile of land in seconds. Yes my parents were proud of me & no male crossed my boundries.
5pm . And only 5 people died ! Amazing
I live in Okemos Michigan and have been alarmed by the tornado activity locally. My nearby hometown has been hit hard twice in about 12 years, whereas that never used to happen. Have you done a report about the Flint tornadoes in 1953?
Dang, you were in town and didn't call? Rats, I would have been happy to buy you both a beverage of your choice and chat!
5:03 So much for “eternal rest” 💀😮
Suburb of Kalamazoo was hit this year too.
I lived in Paw Paw and was outside working sky got dark but other than a bit of rain nothing. Had friends living on M-43 the insurance companies made them throw out all their food stored in cupboards they said that even though they had minor damage the winds were strong enough to blow pieces of glass and dirt into their packaged food. sometimes particles so small you would not see them.
in 1953 a tornado hit flint and killed over 100 people.
I wasn’t alive at the time but my grandfather was at Stewart & Clark - now Stewart & Co furniture. and survived under his desk. Im unsure exactly if it hit the building or not because its a more distant relative that owns it now and my grandfather is no longer alive
Also you’re saying your final resting place is by Borgess so you guys live relatively near. Wild i found your channel researching the UP now I’m learning more about a place i grew up miles from!
We don't live in Kazoo, but we did meet in Kalamazoo. We live up by Grand Rapids. But, very cool that you found us!
I was there and I saw the tornado. I knew one of the persons that died.
😢
The bigger storm across the area did a lot of damage itself. No power in town for days. Kzoo was a so very different. I see a lot of empty streets with the new age parking and road diets.
How many bird nests are in Chuck's beard?
Wow, so interesting. I don't remember the Kalamazoo tornado that year. I have been through 2 in 1 day, A F5 and a F4 I believe on palm Sunday in 1965. I was very young but remember parts of it. Luckily we were at a family Easter dinner in alagansee Michigan and the tornadoes hit Coldwater lake in Branch county. My family found what left of cupboards full of duck feathers but no ducks. Neighbor swears he saw the first tornado suck all the water out of the lake. Here is a must watch on the outbreak.
ua-cam.com/video/2SzLsHlB5BI/v-deo.htmlsi=p8Qy5yx-8e3oQhhr
I've lived in michigan 62 years never been to the zoo.
So this is nothing about the kne from last night? Noted
How about something up to date ?
The Kalamazoo tornado in 1980 was filmed as it came toward downtown by Ted Ruble, an employee of a store called The Sound Room on the corner of W. Main and Westnedge with a newfangled device called a camcorder that he took off the shelf. His footage of the tornado approaching is considered the very first amateur weather footage of its kind. He wandered around downtown and filmed the aftermath minutes after the funnel had passed. Its fascinating to watch. Especially as a local. Here's a link for anyone who wants to watch it:
ua-cam.com/video/sYRGQa7mRus/v-deo.html
Yes! I forgot to add that piece of history in the video.