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…