Severe Storms Sunday Evening

Strong to severe storms ripped through portions of West Michigan late Sunday afternoon into Sunday evening. Several of these storms produced strong, gusty straight line winds of at least 50 - 60 mph, with some a bit higher between 60 - 70 mph. There are many locations that have trees snapped off or uprooted, and downed power lines. Frequent lightning may have been the cause, or at least contributed, to fires in around Sparta in Kent county. Heavy rain produced another inch or more in some locations on top of an already saturated ground. There is also some speculation that a tornado may have touched down around the Fruitport and/or Sparta area, but there is no evidence of it at this time. All indications seem to point to straight line wind damage, but the National Weather Service will be conducting a survey of the damage on Monday. Photos below show storm damage in Coopersville from Denny Krepel.