Tornado in Grand Rapids

The National Weather Service in Grand Rapids has confirmed that a tornado touched down shortly after 10 p.m. Sunday. The NWS says it confirmed that it was on the ground for approximately 10 minutes. Meteorologist Brandon Hoving says wind speeds were clocked at well over 80 miles per hour and potentially exceeded 100 mph during the storm event. Hoving says storms of this magnitude are rare events for the Grand Rapids area. The most severe part of the storm was localized to the Kentwood area. Weather forecasters say the tornado carved a path starting near the US 131 exchange near M-6. It developed quickly, Hoving said, and authorities had little time to issue a tornado warning for the area.  (MRN)