The National Weather Service issued a tornado watch at 1:30 p.m., which went into effect at 2:30 p.m. and was to remain in effect until 8:30 p.m. A severe thunderstorm with hail up to one inch in diameter was reported in the South Haven area of Van Buren county at 3:30 p.m. and a severe thunderstorm warning was issued for Van Buren and Allegan counties at 3:35 p.m. This event was followed by the touchdown of a tornado about four miles west of Glendale, in Van Buren County, at approximately 3:40 p.m. The tornado's path was eight miles long and was approximately 650 yards wide. Although no people were killed in Van Buren County, twenty people were injured and there was seven million dollar's worth of property damage. Twenty-four homes were destroyed and another 85 underwent varying degrees of damage. Twelve mobile homes were destroyed and another six were damaged. The Glendale Baptist Church near Paw Paw was destroyed.
The thunderstorm was moving across eastern Van Buren county to the east northeast at about 40 m.p.h. before it began to turn to the right and move in an east southeasterly direction near the Kalamazoo county line. At 3:50 p.m. a funnel cloud was reported 14 miles west of the city of Kalamazoo. At 4 p.m., the Kalamazoo tornado touched down seven miles west of downtown Kalamazoo, at which time a tornado warning was issued and the civil defense sirens were activated in the city. Its path was about eleven miles long and 100 yards wide. Five people were killed, 79 were injured, and total damage was estimated at 50 million dollars (in 1980 currency).
Tornado Victims
The first fatality associated with this tornado occurred at approximately 4:12 p.m. Mrs. Mari Gilman was killed when a tornado leveled the Norge Laundry and Dry Cleaning business at 1614 West Main Street. She apparently was suffocated when a wall fell onto her as she sought cover in a gully outside of the Laundromat. She had just been married on Saturday, May 10th.
Mr. Francis Hardy was killed by a falling tree as he rode his motorcycle on South Rose Street near Bronson Park between 4:13 and 4:17 p.m. Mr. Hardy served in the U.S. Air Force during the Korean war.
Mrs. Christina Wellington was killed when the rear wall of the six story Gilmores Department store building and a pedestrian bridge leading to a parking ramp behind the store collapsed. She was a sales representative for Payot Cosmetics company at Gilmores and was leaving the store when the disaster struck between 4:13 and 4:17 p.m.
Mrs. Lucia McFall was also killed when the rear wall of the Gilmores Department store building collapsed between 4:13 and 4:17 p.m. She was a customer at the store and was a teacher for eighteen years at Ramona Lane Elementary School in Portage. She was a graduate of Hope College.
Finally, Mr. Raymond Moyer was killed on Wynn road in Comstock Township at about 4:20 p.m. as he was transferring fuel and loading a fuel truck and winds tossed him from the truck.
The tornado lifted between Kings Highway and Comstock Avenue, in central Kalamazoo County just northwest of the village of Comstock, at 4:25 p.m.
Galesburg Kalamazoo Parchment Portage Augusta Climax Richland Schoolcraft Vicksburg Alamo Township Brady Township Charleston Township Climax Township Comstock Township Cooper Township Kalamazoo Charter Township Oshtemo Township Pavilion Township
Prairie Ronde Township Richland Township Ross Township Schoolcraft Township Texas Township Wakeshma Township Comstock Northwest Eastwood Greater Galesburg South Gull Lake Westwood Barry County Allegan County Calhoun County Van Buren County Branch County St. Joseph County Cass County
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Why Did Someone Dislike The Video?
Great Video By The Way :)
ILOVEPINK0706 6 months ago
wish we had a FUCKING TORNADO today.. but nope! no thunderstorms in forecast
FunnyLooking77 8 months ago
@bhite41 No it wasn't. It was Tuesday.
mareee1 1 year ago
That's scary! i cant imagine what everyone was thinking then!
MzSyditty2 1 year ago
Yea this really tore into Kazoo there were twin baby twister reported but yea older bros was dragging my butt down the street from school sky was changing many colors right b4 it hit the Zoo.
docmic73 1 year ago
great history, any way to get a cd of photos
ls3361 1 year ago
I was in 7th grade when it happened. I believe I was home from school. The tornado really made downtown a mess. I remembered it impacted St. Augustines church and school. I went to St. A's "rival" school St. Monica's. For the rest of the school year, St. Monica's students had fridays off so that St. A's students could have school at our school on friday's. I think the other Catholic schools also had a day off so St. A's students could have a school day.
charcas67 2 years ago
I was in the 2nd grade when this hit but that was the day I had to go to the ped's dr at Borgress, and we stopped at the McDonalds to get a burger. We got downtown and the sirens went off, and we ended up in the Hilton in one of their storage rooms. I can remember that our church got destroyed, and that most of downtown was a mess for some time. I still have the paper from the next day.
nikolahull 2 years ago
it was friday the 13th
bhite41 2 years ago
These pictures are awesome! Makes me feel old.......... remember the "I survived the tornado of 1980" t-shirts?
tekdogshophiecat 2 years ago