The first tornado began around 3:40 p.m. and dissipated at 3:50 p.m. The first tornado did not cause any deaths but injured 25 people. Shortly after the first tornado dissipated, a supercell thunderstorm caused a new tornado to form as it was moving into Kalamazoo. The first images were captured by two news reporters in the city, where shortly thereafter caused its first fatality. As the tornado moved into downtown, an employee at a local electronics store captured it. The tornado could be seen moving southeast, damaging homes and uprooting trees as it moved into downtown. As the employee ran to the basement, the tornado killed three more people, two at Gilmore's Apartment Store and a motorcyclist struck by a falling tree. The tornado killed one more person in Constock Township before dissipating.