A Case Study in Forensic Meteorology: Investigating the 3 April 1956 Tornadoes in Western Lower Michigan

Abstract

An investigation into a historic tornado outbreak in western Lower Michigan yielded several significant findings and provided details about path length, duration, and intensity of each tornado. These findings are presented here, along with discrepancies that were found with the National Climatic Data Center’s storm event database for the number of tornadoes and fatalities that occurred in this event. Potential strategies in forensic meteorology for future studies of historic tornado events also are presented, including suggestions for gathering and synthesizing data. Finally, strategies are discussed for using anniversary events to increase public awareness of severe weather.