21-Foot Waves, Wild Winds Assault West Michigan (ContributorNetwork)

It was a crazy day, weather-wise, in West Michigan and more is expected today and Saturday. Gale-force winds, 21-33 foot waves on Lake Michigan, torrential rains blasted the western counties. Temperatures are dropping into the 30s this evening. Over on the east side, Detroit gears up for 18-foot waves on Lake Huron and seven foot waves on little Lake St. Clair.

Michigan may not be seeing the hurricane winds and rains that plague Florida and the east coast, but gale force is enough to knock out the power and create hazards for locals. Most of Michigan is outlined in small craft advisories and all the lakes are pink, meaning gale-force winds on the lakes.

High winds and rain knocked down trees and damaged power lines in several areas in West Michigan. This came on top of storm damage along the lakeshore, earlier in the week, too. The Lake Express car ferry which shuttles passengers across Lake Michigan from Muskegon, Mich., to Milwaukee Wis., canceled scheduled passages on Friday, due to wind advisories on the lake. Ludington's S.S. Badger, a car and tourist ferry also canceled service.

Though not as large as Lake Superior up north, we locals have always referred to Lake Michigan as the "big lake." Winds and high waves on the lake, can be more difficult to navigate even than out on the ocean. Bill Moore, Sylva, N.C., is a seasoned boater. He also served on different ships in Vietnam.

He explains sailing on the Great Lakes is completely different than sailing on the ocean. For one thing, the Great Lakes are more like small seas, than lakes. On the ocean, high waves appear as swells. On the lake, there are shorter distances between waves especially close to shore and near harbors. Waves "crest" in a shorter space, creating white caps. 14-20 foot waves (the current highs) on the lake can be more treacherous because there are more of them in a smaller space.

Also, the majority of boats on the Great Lakes are speed boats, pleasure crafts, yachts, sailboats and fishing boats. These vessels aren't designed for rough seas. There are fewer safety requirements for these smaller boats. Life jackets, flares and safety equipment are mandatory, but skippers aren't made to take boater safety courses. Many do, but licenses aren't required.

When storms and rough waters hit, this means more amateur boaters are unprepared for conditions. It's essential that boaters respect the lake and it's capacity for danger. Boaters should keep a marine radio on board. Here are mobile weather alerts and cellphone apps for land and marine conditions.

Marilisa Kinney Sachteleben writes about wild weather from 25 years teaching science.

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48 mph Winds Wreak Havoc in Michigan (ContributorNetwork)

While other parts of the world are getting hurricanes and typhoons, Michigan is getting tropical storm strength winds as 48 mph winds, deluging rain and 21-foot waves have hit the state. With temperatures in the 30s and 40s, the wind speed is the only thing that feels "tropical."

* 40 mph: The wind speed recorded in Pontiac, Mich., on Friday.

* 48 mph: The wind speed recorded in Port Hope, Mich.

* 51 mph: The wind speed in Holland, Mich.

* 55,000: Consumer's Energy customers who lost power. Most have had their power turned back on but some pockets continue in darkness.

* 11,000: Detroit Thomas Edison customers who lost power. Most of these have also had their power turned back on.

* 23 feet: The recorded high wave height on Lake Michigan. It was set in Muskegon, Mich.

* 7 feet: Wave height on Lake St. Clair, in southeast Michigan.

* 18 feet: Wave height on Lake Huron.

* 6.2 inches: Rainfall at Detroit Metro Airport. This amount is twice the normal amount of rain for September and made it the third rainiest September since 1902.

* 2: Men killed when their SUV hit a puddle and hydroplaned into a home in Grand Rapids on Thursday. The home suffered extreme damage.

* 2: ferries closed due to winds and high waves on Lake Michigan. The Lake Express Ferry from Muskegon to Milwaukee canceled service as did Ludington's S.S. Badger car ferry.

Other damage occurred in Berrien Springs, Mich., where a golfer was killed while playing during the storm. Friends visiting ArtPrize in Grand Rapids had their visit abbreviated due to high winds and rain. Some construction was halted due to heavy winds.

Gale-force wind speeds are still in effect for areas near Lake Huron. Waves are at 14 feet. Small craft advisories are in effect for most lakeshore regions on all of the five great lakes in Michigan. Frost advisories are in effect for most of Michigan.

Marilisa Kinney Sachteleben writes about wild weather from 25 years teaching science and social studies.

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Tornadoes, Hail Eye Michigan for Memorial Day (ContributorNetwork)

Well Michigan, it seems that we're not to be spared the wrath of tornado season. The National Weather Service lists a tornado watch in effect for 34 counties in Michigan. There is also a flood, severe weather and hail watch for the evening of May 29 into Memorial Day.

May 30-31 is also the anniversary of the 1998 Derecho that turned much of Spring Lake, Mich. into a disaster zone. The Derecho wind, a straight line with near tornado speed winds, destroyed countless homes and vehicles. Not one person was killed by the wind. One power worker lost his life in the repair.

Flint, Mich., was originally the site of the worst tornado in recent history. In 1953, 116 people were killed in the Flint Beecher tornado. The May 22 Joplin, Mo., tornado caused 142 deaths, according to Voice of America, topping Flint Beecher. The Christian Science Monitor reports April saw a super outbreak in Dixie Alley, one of the prime targets for tornadoes.

The following counties have tornado watches issued until 8 p.m.: Allegan, Branch, Clinton, Calhoun, Gratiot, Ionia, Kent, Livingston, Montcalm, Ottawa, Shiawassee, Tuscola, Barry, Eaton, Hillsdale, Jackson, Lapeer, Macomb, Muskegon, Saginaw, St. Clair, Van Buren, Berrien, Cass, Genesee, Ingham, Kalamazoo, Lenawee, Monroe, Oakland, Sanilac, St. Joseph and Washtenaw.

These counties are primarily in the lower peninsula in southern Michigan. Remember, a tornado watch means conditions are right for tornadoes. A tornado warning means a funnel cloud has been spotted.

There is also a warm front lifting in southern Michigan, bringing with it heavy rain and thunderstorm. This will cause flooding in some areas. These areas could see as much as an inch of rain. Counties include Ottawa, Kent, Ionia, Clinton, Allegan, Barry, Eaton, Ingham, Van Buren, Kalamazoo, Calhoun and Jackson.

Cities primarily affected by the heavy thunderstorms and rain include: Jenison, Grand Rapids, Ionia, Hastings, St. Johns, Holland, Charlotte, Lansing, South Haven, Kalamazoo and Battle Creek.

A flood watch remains in effect until 2 a.m. tomorrow for counties in mid-Michigan and southwest Michigan. In the southwest, the counties of Ottawa, Allegan, Barry, Kalamazoo, Kent and Van Buren should be alert. Calhoun, Clinton, Eaton, Ingham, Ionia and Jackson are affected in the central part of the state.

Now for the really fun part. With all the thunderstorms, particularly along I-96, be on the lookout for hail an inch or larger. Hail is always a threat in a Michigan spring.

Ping-ponging weather temperatures increase the likelihood of hail falling from the upper regions of the atmosphere where it is formed. Following the pre-Memorial Day storms, a cold front is expected. Temperature fluctuations also account for tornado weather. This variable weather is prime growing season for hail and tornadoes.

Hail can do some serious damage to crops, livestock, landscape and structures. It can also cause injury. Don't go out in a hailstorm. Wait until the storm is over to collect any specimens. Hailstorms are generally brief. Here is a video of some Michigan hailstorms.

Marilisa Kinney Sachteleben is an avid weather watcher and storm chaser. Living along Lake Michigan gives her plenty of opportunity to do both.

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Storm lashes southern Michigan, 30,000 without power (Reuters)

DETROIT (Reuters) – Residents of southern Michigan were cleaning up on Monday after a violent storm ripped through the region, leaving at least 30,000 people without power, authorities said.

The Sunday storm hit northern Illinois with heavy rains and lightning, canceling at least 400 flights at Chicago airports, before raking a stretch of southern Michigan from Kalamazoo to Detroit. No deaths or injuries were reported, officials said.

The storm's 60-mile-per-hour winds drove heavy rain, uprooted hundreds of trees, ripped the roofs off buildings, and twisted billboards in and around Battle Creek, a city of 50,000 about 120 miles west of Detroit.

"As of right now we are going around taking trees off of houses, clearing out roadways, and pushing all of the debris aside so emergency vehicles can get to people who need it," said Tyler Upston, 24, who owns a landscaping business in Battle Creek. "Tomorrow we will start the full clean up."

About 34,000 people were still without power in Battle Creek's Calhoun County on Monday and "a significant number of Michigan residents are without power throughout the area hit by the storm," said Bob Dukesherer, a senior forecaster with the National Weather Service in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

"The storm was racing and moving over 50 miles per hour at times and with that forward speed it comes up on you very quickly," Dukesherer said.

Upston was at a friend's lake house as the storm swept in.

"It looked like a huge blanket coming across the sky," Upston said. "The rain was coming harder than hard. Everything was kicking up. Scrubs and trees were flying everywhere. Lawn chairs were flying from one neighbor's house to another."

Skies on Monday were clear in the Midwest from the Great Lakes to the Gulf of Mexico as hot, humid air pushed temperatures into the low 90 degree range, forecasters said.

But they warned that conditions for possible severe thunderstorms, hail and tornadoes could return on Monday night in the central Plains and upper Midwest.

(Reporting by Eric Johnson; Editing by Peter Bohan)

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