WEST MICHIGAN — Can straight line winds produce just as much damage as a tornado? The simple answer is yes. When severe thunderstorms rip through West Michigan, they can produce damage in the form of ...

Severe storms — thunderstorms that produce tornadoes, hail at least one inch in diameter, or damaging winds (58 mph or higher) — are destructive and deadly. They cause an average of 200 deaths ...

Powerful winds thrown out from thunderstorms are becoming more widespread and more destructive across the central U.S., scientists have found. The gusts, also known as straight line winds, have seen ...