Grand Rapids Michigan Tornado

April 3, 1956

More twisters were captured on film in the 1950s than people think. This is rarely-seen footage of a tornado that struck Grand Rapids, MI on April 3rd, 1956 (over 50 years ago!). It was shot on 8mm film and rated F5.

Credit: Eugene Dohm

• Category

  Science & Technology

[CobraKing619]

there are more rare tornado videos than people might think, I had no idea that the first film of a tornado was not the Corn, OK tornado in 1951 but of a tornado that hit Cuba in 1933 and who knows somebody might stumble upon some even rarer films of tornadoes

[Anticyclonic]

Oh hell yeah, there are tons of vids out there that have been rarely seen. I have footage of the Worcester tornado, and I KNOW I have the Cuba clip somewhere. One of these days I'm gonna have to brave the mountain of old VHS tapes I have (lots of which contain footage from old TV documentaries I taped over a decade ago) but it's such a pain in the ass.

[CobraKing619]

I've seen pictures of the Worcester tornado but I've never seen the film, and I have video of the Tulsa-Catoosa tornado where you can see clearly see the tornado before it later was wrapped in rain and dust. I also have footage of the Wichita Falls F5 on 1964, it was shot during a live newscast and has sound.

[Anticyclonic]

Cool! The 1964 Wichita F5 I do NOT think I have, I'm just trying to remember...no, I think the one I'm thinking of is from Geary, OK in either '61 or '63. I'll have to post that one. And I have a shitty 3-sec snippet of Lubbock 1970 that I wouldn't mind seeing more of. :o(

[matt7361]

No, that 1980 tornado you're thinking of went through Kalamazoo in 1980, it killed 5 people, I believe. I'm in Florida now and you haven't seen anything until you've experienced a hurricane.

[Anticyclonic]

I bet it's really crap-in-the-pants inducing to experience a hurricane. I saw this video a while ago where this family was hunkered down in their home and they taped the entire thing through the night. I think the guy's wife was in the hospital ready to give birth to their new baby.

What hurricanes have you been through?

[Carla Elliott]

(last part of my entry....Whew!) explained that the tornado had blown a huge tree's trunk right through their trailer! Luckily, hers was the only injury at that location, and she felt she was okay. (another "Whew!")

[Carla Elliott]

(continued again from previous block) its door was, to me, a HUGE round hole

(actually, it included the door into the trailer and was about 5-foot wide). Dad and I walked up to the entrance and Dad knocked on the outside of the trailer. In just a quick moment, a lady came out to talk with Dad. She had some splinter-style wounds on the side of her face and very near her left eye; but, she claimed she was fine. She (again - continued up to next block)

[Carla Elliott]

(continued from block underneath this one) my bedroom and we lost power. I ran to Mom's & Dad's room and room and stayed there for the rest of the night with them and my 4-month-old sister.

The next morning, I went with Dad to one of our parishioner's homes out in the country. Beside the old farm house, which had a little bit of damage, my memory is molded from my vision of the little trailer house sitting just across the house's driveway. Right beside (continued again into previous block)

[Carla Elliott]

I lived in Alto when this series of tornados happened in 1956. It was in the spring of my kindergarten year. I remember walking across the street from home in the early evening (I think!) to meet my dad, who was walking home from the Methodist Church, where he was the pastor at that time. I remember us both realizing that the weather was warm and EXTREMELY still - not a bit of wind anywhere. My next memory is of my being in (continued in next block - well, probably previous block!)

[Despina838]

So hard to believe an F5 ever hit around this area. We never get tornadoes here in west Michigan. Anytime there are tornadoes in this state, they're usually brief F0 spinups.

[ricub1]

Is the Worcester Tornado footage you have the one taken in Southborough as the barn collapses over the filmer's head? (the Ray Davis film). Or is it the one taken from Rtes 9/20 at Northborough/Shrewsbury line? (the Resch film) - would be curious to see the latter - I have 2 stills from it but have never seen the film itself. Thanks -