Paths of destruction

By Ernest J. Ostuno

Subjects: Tornadoes, Severe storms

Description: On April 3, 1956 at least four powerful tornadoes struck West Michigan, killing 18 people and injuring more than 300. It remains the worst natural disaster in West Michigan history. The reach of the tornadoes was vast, stretching from near the Indiana state line all the way to near Traverse City. One of the tornadoes was rated an F5, the most powerful and deadly rating for a tornado. It killed 17 people and devastated areas of Hudsonville and Grand Rapids, Michigan where entire neighborhoods were obliterated by the 200 mph winds. The book describes the weather conditions that resulted in such an awesome display of nature's fury and is illustrated with dozens of photos, many of them reproduced from color slides of the actual tornadoes and the damage they left behind. You can read over 100 eyewitness accounts of people who were near, and in some cases directly in, the paths of the storms. A DVD is also included with the book, which includes interviews with a dozen people who survived the F5 tornado. The interviews are illustrated with extremely rare movie footage of the F5 tornado. Information on tornado safety is also included in the book and the DVD.