| Date of tornado outbreak: | April 2–3, 1956 |
| Duration1: | ~2 days |
| Maximum rated tornado2: | F5 tornado |
| Tornadoes caused: | 46 confirmed |
| Damages: | |
| Fatalities: | 40 |
| Areas affected: | Most of central North America |
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1Time from first tornado to last tornado |
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The Hudsonville-Standale tornado was an F5 tornado that devastated the Hudsonville and Standale, Michigan areas on April 3, 1956. It was one of three tornadoes to move across southwest Lower Michigan on that day. A fourth tornado struck north of the Manistee area. The Hudsonville-Standale tornado killed 18 and injured 340.
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| State | Total | County | County total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kansas | 2 | Cowley | 1 |
| Elk | 1 | ||
| Kentucky | 1 | Webster | 1 |
| Michigan | 20 | Benzie | 2 |
| Kent | 4 | ||
| Ottawa | 14 | ||
| Oklahoma | 5 | Creek | 5 |
| Tennessee | 3 | Henderson | 3 |
| Wisconsin | 9 | Portage | 2 |
| Green Lake | 7 | ||
| Totals | 40 | ||
| All deaths were tornado-related | |||
Tuesday April 3, 1956 was a warm and humid day across most of the Midwestern United States, the Great Lakes and the Ohio Valley. Temperatures in the areas affected by the worst of the outbreak were well into the 70s approaching 80 degrees with high dew points. A low pressure system with a strong cold front located across the western Great Lakes was moving to the west. The front was already responsible for deadly tornadoes in Oklahoma and Kansas on April 2 in which 7 people were killed by the storms. Early during the afternoon of April 3, thunderstorms were already starting to form across Wisconsin, Illinois and Iowa with the first deadly tornado reported in Wisconsin. A powerful F4 tornado later struck the town of Berlin, Wisconsin in which 7 people were killed and a large portion of Berlin destroyed. Prior to the arrival of the storms in the Midwest, schools had closed earlier than usual due to the threat of severe weather.[1]
By late afternoon, the cold front crossed over the western Great Lakes including Lake Michigan. Four major tornadoes, including the killer F5, touched down. Just before 6:00 PM EST, the first tornado touched down near Saugatuck, Michigan and proceeded through 9 miles (14 km) producing F4 damage and injuring 7 while destroying barns, outbuildings and garages. The historic lighthouse in Saugatuck was also leveled by the winds.[2] The Tornado History Project and some of the NOAA archives notes that 2 people were killed in the storm along with a longer storm track of 47 miles (76 km) long.[3]
As the initial tornado progressed and later dissipated near Holland, a new tornado formed southwest of the Grand Rapids metropolitan area at around 6:30 PM.[4] Beginning in Vriesland in Ottawa County, the F5 tornado moved northeast for 52 miles (84 km) over areas just north and west of Grand Rapids causing extensive devastation to Hudsonville, Standale and suburban areas of Metro Grand Rapids where some of the buildings and homes were swept away by the wedge tornado. 17 people were killed and hundreds injured by the storm. This was the last F5 (confirmed and/or possible) to ever hit the state of Michigan and occurred three years after the Flint Tornado which killed 116.[5]
As the Grand Rapids tornado was occurring, a tornado in northwest Lower Michigan touched down northwest of Onekama. With a path length of 50 miles (80 km), the F4 tornado killed 1 and injured 25 before dissipating in the Grand Traverse Bay.
The final Michigan known tornado touched down in Van Buren County near Bangor and proceeded for 55 miles (89 km) before dissipating east of Grand Rapids in southeastern Kent County near Lowell. The F3 tornado injured 12 people and several cottages and farms were destroyed and/or swept away.[6]
| Confirmed Total |
Confirmed F0 |
Confirmed F1 |
Confirmed F2 |
Confirmed F3 |
Confirmed F4 |
Confirmed F5 |
| 46 | 4 | 9 | 19 | 9 | 6 | 1 |
These tornadoes were part of a tornado outbreak that took place on April 2–3, 1956 across the U.S Midwest and the Great Lakes regions. In addition to the fatalities in Kansas, Oklahoma, Michigan and Berlin, Wisconsin, 3 people were killed in Tennessee, 1 in Kentucky and 2 more in Wisconsin. In total, 40 were killed during the entire event.
| List of confirmed tornadoes | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Missouri | ||||||
| F1 | SE of Allendale | Worth | 0200 | 2.7 miles (4.32 km) |
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| F1 | NW of Sulphur Springs | McDonald | 0130 | 8.8 miles (14.1 km) |
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| Illinois | ||||||
| F1 | Wilmette | Cook | 0230 | 2 miles (3.2 km) |
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| Oklahoma | ||||||
| F1 | E of Owasso | Tulsa | 1130 | 0.3 mile (0.48 km) |
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| F3 | E of Hopeton | Woods, Alfalfa | 2005 | 20 miles (36 km) |
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| F2 | N of Enid | Garfield, Grant | 2045 | 18.4 miles (29.4 km) |
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| F2 | SW of Tonkawa | Kay | 2145 | 0.1 mile (0.16 km) |
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| F1 | N of Tishomingo | Johnston | 2229 | 8 miles (12.8 km) |
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| F2 | N of Skedee | Pawnee, Osage | 2230 | 12.6 miles (20.2 km) |
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| F4 | NE of Ponca City to SW of Burlington | Kay, OK, Cowley, KS, Chautauqua, Elk, Greenwood, Woodson, Coffey | 2230 | 108.3 miles (173.3 km) |
2 deaths | |
| F3 | E of Fowler to Drumright | Lincoln, Creek | 2233 | 42.6 miles (68.2 km) |
5 deaths | |
| F3 | SE of Sobol | Pushmataha | 0105 | 2 miles (3.2 km) |
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| F4 | SW of Narcissa, OK to SE of Carterville, MO | Ottawa, OK, Cherokee, KS, Jasper | 0110 | 41.8 miles (66.9 km) |
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| Kansas | ||||||
| F0 | SW of Great Bend | Barton | 1900 | 0.1 mile (0.16 km) |
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| F3 | N of Claflin | Ellsworth | 1945 | 5.4 miles (8.6 km) |
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| F0 | NW of Attica | Harper | 2010 | 0.1 mile (0.16 km) |
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| F2 | N of Hunter | Mitchell | 2030 | 3.4 miles (5.4 km) |
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| F3 | N of Ellinwood | Barton, Rice, Ellsworth | 2130 | 20.1 miles (32.2 km) |
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| F1 | NE of Whitewater | Butler, Marion | 2230 | 22.9 miles (36.7 km) |
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| F3 | NE of Florence to E of Effingham | Marion, Chase, Lyon, Wabaunsee | 2230 | 127 miles (203.2 km) |
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| Nebraska | ||||||
| F2 | SE of Auburn | Nemaha | 2345 | 2.3 miles (3.7 km) |
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| Sources: Storm Data for April 2, 1956 | ||||||
| List of confirmed tornadoes | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Wisconsin | ||||||
| F2 | W of Clyde | Iowa | 1200 | 3 miles (4.8 km) |
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| F2 | N of Plainfield | Portage | 1350 | 18.2 miles (29.1 km) |
2 deaths | |
| F4 | Berlin | Green Lake, Waushara, Winnebago | 1445 | 11.5 miles (18.4 km) |
7 deaths | |
| Arkansas | ||||||
| F2 | N of Thebes | Ashley | 1325 | 2.1 miles (3.4 km) |
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| F2 | NE of Portland | Chicot | 1400 | 1 mile (1.6 km) |
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| Mississippi | ||||||
| F2 | W of Sunflower to E of Saltillo | Sunflower, Leflore, Grenada, Yalobusha, Calhoun, Lee | 1530 | 124.9 miles (199.9 km) |
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| F2 | W of West Point | Clay | 2030 | 5.1 miles (8.2 km) |
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| Illinois | ||||||
| F2 | NE of Lawrenceville | Lawrence | 1530 | 3.3 miles (5.3 km) |
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| F2 | SE of Kempton | Ford | 1700 | 2 miles (3.6 km) |
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| F2 | S of Weldon | De Witt, Piatt | 1708 | 9.5 miles (15.2 km) |
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| F1 | SE of Cadwell | Moultrie, Douglas | 1800 | 4.5 miles (7.2 km) |
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| Kentucky | ||||||
| F3 | NE of Dixon to Zion | Webster, Henderson | 1700 | 22.9 miles (36.7 km) |
1 death | |
| F0 | SW of Pride | Union | 1830 | 0.1 mile (0.16 km) |
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| Tennessee | ||||||
| F4 | S of Lexington | Henderson | 1745 | 11.6 miles (18.6 km) | 3 deaths | |
| F1 | W of Sulphura | Sumner | 2045 | 0.2 mile (0.32 km) |
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| Indiana | ||||||
| F2 | SW of Poland | Tippecanoe | 1800 | 0.1 mile (0.16 km) |
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| F2 | W of Salem | Washington | 1845 | 0.1 mile (0.16 km) |
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| F3 | NE of Gilead | Kosciusko | 2004 | 1.5 mile (2.4 km) |
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| F2 | E of Delong | Fulton | 2030 | 4.1 miles (6.6 km) |
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| F1 | SW of Wawaka | Noble | 2050 | 0.1 mile (0.16 km) |
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| F2 | SW of Lagrange | LaGrange | 2105 | 0.1 mile (0.16 km) |
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| F2 | W of Boston | Wayne | 2130 | 0.1 mile (0.16 km) |
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| Michigan | ||||||
| F4 | Saugatuck to Holland | Allegan, Ottawa | 2240 | 9 miles (14 km) |
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| F5 | Vriesland to Lakeview | Ottawa, Kent, Montcalm | 2335 | 52 miles (84 km) |
18 deaths | |
| F4 | NW of Onekama to E of Suttons Bay | Manistee, Benzie, Grand Traverse, Leelanau | 2335 | 50 miles (80 km) |
2 deaths | |
| F3 | S of Bangor to Lowell | Van Buren, Allegan, Barry, Kent | 0015 | 55 miles (89 km) |
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| Ohio | ||||||
| F0 | W of Jenera | Hancock | 2030 | 0.1 mile (0.16 km) |
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| Sources: Storm Data for April 3, 1956 | ||||||