The April 3, 1956 Tornado Outbreak
The tornadoes that struck west Michigan on April 3, 1956 were part of a larger outbreak of tornadoes across the central U.S. that occurred on April 2nd and 3rd of that year. More than 30 tornadoes over the two day period killed 39 people in six states. Seventeen of those fatalities occurred with one tornado, the Hudsonville/Standale F5 tornado. This was the worst tornado in western Michigan history and 2006 marks the 50th anniversary.