1980 Kalamazoo tornado
{{Short description|Fatal F3 tornado in Michigan}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=February 2012}}
{{Infobox weather event
| image = File:Tornado33 (9606488019).jpg
| formed = {{Start date|1980|05|13}}, 4:09 pm EDT
}}{{Infobox weather event/Tornado
| fujita-scale = F3
}}{{Infobox weather event/Effects
| fatalities = 5
| damages = US$50 million
| affected = Kalamazoo, Michigan, United States
}}{{Infobox weather event/Footer
| season = Tornadoes of 1980
}}
The Kalamazoo Tornado of 1980 was an F3 tornado that struck downtown Kalamazoo, Michigan, on Tuesday, 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, which included $1,800,000 in vehicle damage.{{cite web | title=Kalamazoo 1980 Tornado |work=Kalamazoo County, Michigan, Genealogy and Local History | url= http://www.rootsweb.com/~mikalama/tornado.htm | accessdate=July 30, 2006|archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20080224224212/http://www.rootsweb.com/~mikalama/tornado.htm |archivedate=February 24, 2008 |url-status=dead}}
Path
The tornado left a path of destruction {{convert|11|mi|km}} long during its approximately 16-minute duration.{{cite web | title=TWISTER! The 1980 Tornado |work=Kalamazoo Public Library – Local History | url=http://www.kpl.gov/local-history/general/tornado.aspx | accessdate=June 9, 2010| archiveurl= https://web.archive.org/web/20100527152627/http://www.kpl.gov/local-history/general/tornado.aspx| archivedate=May 27, 2010 | url-status= live}} 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.{{cite web|title=TORNADO! |work=Vanished Kalamazoo |url=http://www.vanishedkalamazoo.com/tornado/tornado.htm |accessdate=July 30, 2006 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20060908131126/http://www.vanishedkalamazoo.com/tornado/tornado.htm |archivedate=September 8, 2006 |url-status=dead }}
An hour prior to the St. Augustine Elementary School being destroyed, all 328 students were sent home early thanks to adequate warning.{{Cite web |title=Tracing the Path: The 1980 Kalamazoo Tornado |url=https://www.1980kalamazootornado.org/ |access-date=2022-04-08 |website=Tracing the Path: The 1980 Kalamazoo Tornado |language=en-US}}
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See also
References
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External links
- [http://www.crh.noaa.gov/grr/science/19800513/ The May 13, 1980 Kalamazoo Tornado] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110523084255/http://www.crh.noaa.gov/grr/science/19800513/ |date=May 23, 2011 }} case study (Grand Rapids office of the National Weather Service)
- [http://www.migenweb.org/kalamazoo/tornado.htm Kalamazoo 1980 tornado] MIGenWeb – Michigan Genealogy on the Web
- [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T4fUx0PkOJ8 1980 Kalamazoo Tornado Special, May 13: The Tragedy, The Aftermath.], YouTube channel Blake Naftel, March 1, 2023 – WKZO-TV special report from May 18, 1980
- [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wPNfT9qujVA The Kalamazoo Tornado – May 13, 1980], YouTube channel Legend813a, May 13, 2008
{{1980 tornado outbreaks}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Kalamazoo Tornado, 1980}}
Category:1980 natural disasters in the United States
Category:May 1980 in the United States
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