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Neighbors paddle down flooded street along Grand River
PLAINFIELD TOWNSHIP, Mich. (WOOD) — On a chilly spring day, Bruce Ling was out paddling on a chilly along Abrigador Trail, a road that had turned into a river. He said flooding is a common sight in his 35 years living near the Grand River. Abrigador Trail, which sits between the Grand and West River Drive in Comstock Park, is prone to flooding — though some years are worse than others. "In 2013, that was a historic flood. I think it was 17.9 ft. I lost a house that year," Ling said. A flooded Abrigador Trail in Comstock Park on April 7, 2026. A flooded Abrigador Trail in Comstock Park on April 7, 2026. Getting to his car Tuesday required a boat ride and a quick walk-through ankle-deep water. But he loves the neighborhood, so he stays. He helps the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration keep track of river levels in the area. NOAA recorded the Grand River at 14.9 feet, in the moderate flood stage, in Comstock Park late Tuesday morning. The river was expected to reach nearly 15.4 feet, also in the moderate stage, by around 8 a.m. Wednesday. Officials warn of flooding along Grand, Thornapple rivers It was among a number of West Michigan waterways rising and expected to crest overnight and into Wednesday. On the other side of metro Grand Rapids in Cascade Township, the Thornapple River was high and flowing quickly after Cascade Dam. Upriver, the Thornapple was at about 9.7 feet at Caledonia as of late Tuesday afternoon — it had been hovering around the minor flood stage threshdhold of 10 feet since Sunday. Flood warnings have been issued around West Michigan, including for parts of the Grand River in Kent and Ottawa counties, as well as the Thornapple River. Kent and Ottawa County emergency management officials are monitoring the Grand River levels closely. Ottawa County officials estimate levels should be back to under flood stage by Sunday. Part of Riverside Park in Grand Rapids was closed for flooding starting Tuesday afternoon, according to the city's parks and recreation department. The northernmost gate leading from Monroe Avenue to the north parking lot as well as the Guild Street gate are closed and barricades were placed at the south lot. People were advised not to park in front of closed gates or barricades. The department released photos that showed water covering a play structure, a disc golf goal and a porta potty, among other things. Download the free Storm Team 8 weather app Storm Team 8 says the flooding stems from all the rain we've seen this month and so far this year. Grand Rapids saw 2.68 inches of rain in just the first four days of April. For comparison, Grand Rapids had 2.77 inches of rain for the entire month of April in 2025. Emergency managers asked people who live in flood-prone areas to prepare for flooding by moving valuables to higher levels, checking sump pumps and clearing drains. Authorities advise people to never drive through flooded roadways because it’s impossible to tell if the road underneath is intact. They use the motto, “turn around, don’t drown.” You should also avoid walking through floodwaters because you could get swept away by a current. —Storm Team 8's Sara Flynn and News 8's Joe LaFurgey contributed to this report.
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Ask Ellen: Is it safe to shower during a thunderstorm?
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) — There are a lot of rumors and myths about severe weather, but when it comes to showering during a thunderstorm, experts still recommend avoiding it. Lightning is incredibly dangerous, with a typical bolt carrying 300 million volts of electricity and reaching a sizzling temperature of 50,000 degrees Fahrenheit. Those struck by lightning can easily die or experience severe burns and cognitive issues. If you can hear thunder, you are technically within striking distance of lightning. The best bet during a thunderstorm is to head inside a sturdy structure, or a car with a metal roof. But is it safe to shower when it's storming? Technically, no. Lightning is pure electricity that travels readily through metal and water. If a stray strike happens to hit something metal outside your home, and that metal is connected to your water pipes, there is a small, but not zero, chance of getting zapped in the bathroom. In Oklahoma in 2022, a bolt traveled through a metal exhaust vent before striking a toilet at an apartment. No one was injured, but the toilet was destroyed. The likelihood of a bolt of lightning striking a person indoors is statistically extremely low. Still, lightning has been known to strike houses in Michigan. Lightning will typically take the path of least resistance. Be sure to avoid water, metal or electronics during the next thunderstorm, just in case.
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Officials warn of flooding along Grand, Thornapple rivers
PLAINFIELD TOWNSHIP, Mich. (WOOD) — Recent rainfall has pushed local waterways to flood level. Flood warnings have been issued around West Michigan, including for parts of the Grand River in Kent and Ottawa counties, as well as the Thornapple River near Caledonia. While Kent County Sheriff's Office Emergency Management said flooding was not widespread, water was over the street along Abrigador Trail off West River Drive in Comstock Park as of Monday. That area frequently floods in the spring because it sits so closer to the Grand River. Download the free Storm Team 8 weather app NOAA recorded the Grand River at 13.6 feet in Comstock Park as of around noon Monday; minor flood stage in the area is 12 feet. The river was expected to reach nearly 15.4 feet, in the moderate flood stage, by around 2 a.m. Wednesday. The sheriff's office added that flow is high for dams along the Thornapple River. Downstream in Ottawa County, the emergency management department expected to see flooding along Van Lopik Avenue in Robinson Township. It said the street have a foot or two of water over it and homes could see some flooding when the Grand River crests overnight Tuesday. CSX aims to fix washed out track Monday Emergency managers are asking people who live in flood-prone areas to prepare before the rivers crest by moving valuables to higher levels, checking sump pumps and clearing drains. Authorities advise people to never drive through flooded roadways because it's impossible to tell if the road underneath is intact. They use the motto, "turn around, don't drown." You should also avoid walking through floodwaters because you could get swept away by a current. Some river levels are expected to crest Tuesday night, but may not start to recede until the end of the week.
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Cool Easter Sunday with morning flurries
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) — Cool temperatures, gusty winds and snow flurries are all ahead for West Michigan Sunday. TODAY Mostly cloudy and breezy
HIGH 44
WIND NW 15-20 G30 mph TODAY EASTER Snow flurries are possible prior to noon. Otherwise, it's shaping up to be a cool and breezy holiday, with highs in the middle 40s and winds gusting to 30 mph from the northwest. Some sunshine is possible by late afternoon & evening. TONIGHT A round of rain showers is possible overnight as lows fall to the middle 30s. MONDAY Mixed rain and snow showers are possible, especially in the afternoon. Northwest winds will continue gusting to 30 mph as high temperatures hold in the middle 40s. TUESDAY The coldest, but likely sunniest day of the week with highs near 40 degrees under mostly sunny skies. WEDNESDAY Warmer, with a small chance for a shower as high temperatures reach the upper 50s. LOOKING AHEAD Rain chances will return through the second half of the week as temperatures hold generally in the 50s. -
The Hudsonville-Standale tornado: 70 years later
HUDSONVILLE, Mich. (WOOD) — Seventy years after West Michigan's deadliest tornado, signs of the storm can still be spotted if you know what you're looking for. The tornado of April 3, 1956, initially touched down around 6:30 p.m. near Hudsonville. The supercell then tracked through parts of Ottawa and Kent counties before lifting near Lakeview around 7:30 p.m. The storm was fed by a warm front lifting across the region, which pushed high temperatures close to 80 degrees that afternoon. How tornado ratings have changed since 1956 The Hudsonville-Standale tornado was not only the strongest tornado to ever hit West Michigan, but also the strongest tornado in the world in 1956. Wind speeds were estimated to have reached over 250 mph, sweeping homes off their foundations and launching vehicles into the air over its 52-mile path. The damage totaled nearly $10 million in Kent County alone, which is equivalent to $90 million in 2026. Seventeen people were killed and hundreds were injured. West Michigan’s only F5 tornado impacts then and now Subtle evidence of the tornado's destruction remains 70 years later, including in the Van Zoeren Woods in Zeeland Township. Ernie Ostuno, a National Weather Service meteorologist whose legacy includes documenting stories from that fateful day, pointed out several trees that had evidence of possible damage. "The first step is to say, OK, what are the trees that were old enough to have been here in 1956?" Ostuno said. Of course, his survey is meticulous. "I can’t say 100% because I don’t have any photos of what that tree looked like," Ostuno said. "But I know it was here and it does have a certain architecture to it that might suggest just the trunk was damaged." Further up the tornado's path, at the intersection of Van Buren Street and 40th Avenue near Hudsonville, a ditch holds its own story from that day. "Bert Bosgraff was lifted out of the ditch and blown northeastward through the fields there and he was injured," Ostuno said. "They took him to the hospital, but he survived. So, a 3-foot ditch and an F5 tornado. You know, extreme times call for extreme measures, and they got in the ditch and survived it." The tornado’s path is perhaps made most visible today by the homes that stand along Van Buren. "You could definitely tell where the tornado hit because the houses are totally different styles," Ostuno said. "You know, there are brick ranch houses that got hit, all of it. And you see the older white farmhouses that survived the tornado. So it’s a pretty stark difference." How would current construction stand up to destructive tornadoes? The muck fields that so closely mirrored the tornado’s path as it approached Hudsonville also hold reminders. Ostuno recalled a conversation with a farmer who found pieces of debris in the fields for years. While the reminders have become subtle, the overarching message has not. "There were people in '56, you know, their last words were almost virtually ‘they don’t happen here,'" Ostuno said. "So that’s what we want to avoid in the future, is the mindset that they don’t happen here." The Hudsonville-Standale tornado was not the only tornado to touch down in Michigan that day. An F4 tornado caused damage from Saugatuck to Holland, while an F3 tornado carved a path from Bangor to Lowell.
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Easter holiday weekend brings wet, cooler weather
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) — Another round of soaking rain is on track for West Michigan, followed by chilly conditions Easter Sunday. Inside woodtv.com: Radar GOOD FRIDAY Mostly cloudy, but comfortable weather will be with us to start off the weekend. Travel conditions should cooperate, though there will be a few pockets of fog following Thursday's heavy downpours. Temperatures are on track to rise into the lower and mid-50s which is seasonable for early April. A light breeze pushes through from the west between 10 and 20 mph. Late Friday night, another system is reeled in from southwest to northeast, bringing together showers and thunderstorms. The chance of severe weather occurring is low, but not quite zero. Points near and south of I-94 have a marginal risk (level 1 out of 5) with downpours and hail being the concerns if storms are able to pulse up. Download the free Storm Team 8 weather app SATURDAY Wet weather will be prevalent Saturday with showers and thunderstorms rolling through. Rain should be heaviest during the morning hours, with more scattered activity carrying over into the afternoon. Rainfall totals will likely be substantial, with close to an inch of accumulation. Easter egg hunts may be on the soggy and muddy side of things as we head into Sunday morning. Temperatures are set to peak in the early afternoon around 60 degrees before falling off later in the day with the wind gaining strength from the WNW. EASTER SUNDAY Expect relatively cold weather for the Easter holiday. Make sure to bundle up the little ones for Easter egg hunts and activities in the morning. Winter coats, gloves, and hats are encouraged with temperatures Easter morning close to the freezing point. List: Easter egg hunts, events in West Michigan Wind gusts may top 30 mph, which will yield wind chills in the 20s. With the wind directed from the northwest, we may be able to kick up just a few lake-effect snow showers and flurries, but these should remain light enough that travel won't be impacted. The afternoon hours on Easter Sunday should be marginally more pleasant, with the wind easing off, but temperatures will struggle to climb past 40 degrees. Stay with Storm Team 8 for updates.
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West Michigan’s only F5 tornado impacts then and now
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) — Fortunately, tornadoes are rare in Michigan. Rarer yet are the strong to devastating ones that exceed EF3. Of those that do happen, more than 90% are EF1 or EF0, the lowest ratings, in strength. You have to go back to 1967 to find the last strong F3 tornado to impact either Kent or Ottawa counties. Muskegon County has never seen an EF3 tornado, dating back to when records begin in 1950. 70 years since an F5 in Michigan: How tornado ratings have changed If you include the entire state of Michigan, there was nearly a full decade between EF3 tornadoes — Dexter in March 2012 and Gaylord in May 2022. Remarkably, the last EF4 tornado was nearly 50 years ago in 1977. If you look at the graphic above, you'll notice all of Kent and Ottawa counties' strongest tornadoes happened within an 11-year span and all during the month of April. That's because April is when we can have the strongest clashes of air masses and stronger winds aloft. That's what happened April 3, 1956, creating the only F5 tornado ever in West Michigan and one of only two to ever dig into Michigan's soil. Between 6:40 p.m. and 7:50 p.m., the Hudsonville-Standale tornado cased immense devastation along its 52-mile path. Seventeen people were killed. Below is a picture of the tornado leaving Hudsonville after killing 13 people and heading toward Jenison. The damage in northwest sections of Hudsonville were incredible. Below is an example of some of the damage near Port Sheldon Road as the tornado entered the western fringes of Hudsonville. The Oostendorp home is an example of the damage caused by winds in excess of 200 mph. The home was swept off its foundation and even the linoleum floor that was glued on was scoured away. Two of the family members lost their lives. Though the damage was serious, the area was still relatively rural at the time, with homes scattered about. The images below show how much more development has been built up since the 1956 twister: Once the tornado left Hudsonville, it continued a path to the northeast, impacting homes in the Jenison area. Jenison High School, not yet standing because it was built in 1970, would have been in the tornado's path. After leaving the Jenison area, the tornado headed straight for Standale. Below is the intersection of Kinney Avenue and Lake Michigan Drive. Notice how Kinney still has a section of dirt road. If the tornado had happened in 2026, many more homes in the suburbs and major businesses, such as Meijer, would have been in its path. The tornado continued on through Walker, eventually crossing I-96 and M-37 (Alpine Avenue). Storm Team 8 meteorologist Matt Kirkwood's dad was 14 at the time — he remembers watching the tornado when it crossed Bristol Avenue. Since then, huge growth has occurred in the same area. The tornado continued racing northeast at approximately 45 mph, eventually cutting through Rockford and ending near Trufant. How would current construction stand up to destructive tornadoes? Since the Hudsonville-Standale tornado, Kent County has increased its population by over 100%, with the Grand Rapids suburbs of Standale and Walker seeing an impressive fourfold increase. Ottawa County, with it beautiful Lake Michigan shoreline, is the fastest growing county in Michigan. It has seen its population go from about 90,000 people to over 300,000. Hudsonville is a prime example of one of the towns that has seen its population swell over 200%. It's only a matter of time before another violent tornado strikes again in this area. It happened only nine years after 1956 with the Palm Sunday F4 tornado that struck Belmont and Comstock Park, killing six. The tornadoes' paths both crossed the Samrick Farm in Belmont.
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Whitmer, MI lawmakers seek presidential disaster declaration after deadly tornadoes
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) — After deadly tornadoes ripped through Southwest Michigan last month, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and a bipartisan coalition of Michigan lawmakers are asking President Donald Trump to declare a major disaster. ‘We’re going for a ride now’: How survivors rode out the Union Lake tornado If issued, the declaration can unlock a range of federal assistance programs. Whitmer has requested "all areas" of Individual Assistance for Branch, Cass and St. Joseph counties, according to her office. The Individual Assistance category includes funds for temporary housing, grants to repair damage, legal assistance, crisis counseling and unemployment assistance. Three Rivers invites community to cemetery cleanup after tornado The National Weather Service has confirmed that four tornadoes hit Southwest Michigan on March 6: an EF1 near Edwardsburg, an EF2 in Three Rivers, an EF3 in the Union City area and an EF0 in Clarendon Township near Tekonsha. In total, the tornadoes claimed four lives, making them Michigan's deadliest tornado event in decades. Three people were killed in the Union City tornado: 63-year-old William Andrew Akers, 54-year-old Keri Ann Johnson and 65-year-old Penni Jo Guthrie. In the tornado near Edwardsburg, 12-year-old Silas Anderson was killed. Union City tornado victims identified as recovery continues “These tornadoes brought heartbreaking loss and widespread destruction to Southwest Michigan,” Whitmer said Wednesday in a statement. “Michigan families have lost loved ones, homes and businesses. I declared a state of emergency, but our work is just beginning. As we wrap our arms around the affected communities, we are requesting federal assistance to ensure those affected have the resources they need to recover." Democratic U.S. Senators Gary Peters and Elissa Slotkin and U.S. Representatives Tim Walberg, R-Tipton, and Bill Huizenga, R-Zeeland, penned a letter to President Trump in support Whitmer's request, saying that while state, local and county governments had stepped up in the tornadoes' wake, federal assistance will be required as the recovery process continues. "Michigan is home to some of the most resilient and selfless citizens in our nation.
Nevertheless, additional resources are needed so the residents and business owners in this
community can recover from this disaster. Thank you for you swift attention to this critical
matter," the lawmakers wrote. Whitmer declared a state emergency shortly after the tornadoes. On March 17, local, state and federal authorities conducted a preliminary damage assessment. State officials believe the devastation meets the threshold to ask for federal support. FEMA, state teams survey SW MI tornado damage Now, the Federal Emergency Management Agency will review Whitmer's request and advise Trump on whether a disaster declaration is needed, though the decision is ultimately Trump's, according to the governor's office.
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Chief Meteorologist Ellen Bacca (and husband Mark) welcomed their first child over the weekend, with the birth of Piper Sunny. Check out these sweet pictures<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n
Hurricane Lee continues to slowly track toward the United States. Click here for the latest on intensity and path<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n
Saturday brought plenty of sunshine and calm conditions. Bill’s Blog dives into what is currently the calmest day of 2023.<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n
WEATHER WEAR<\/strong>
Rain Jacket
Umbrella<\/p>\n\n\n\n
SUNRISE<\/strong> 7:17 a.m.
SUNSET<\/strong> 7:59 p.m.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
All those the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never drive away.
JOHN 6:37 NIVGrand Rapids / Lakeshore
Kalamazoo
Battle Creek
Benton Harbor