When National Weather Service meteorologists laid out this evening’s storm forecast during a webinar this evening, they warned of fairly strong wind gusts. They thought we would see gusts of over 50 mph and even 60 mph along the Lake Michigan shoreline.

And while West Michigan and other inland areas certainly had some strong wind gusts tonight, one reading in South Haven topped all others: Winds of 74 mph were recorded at South Haven Regional Airport at 6:55 p.m., according to the NWS.

Initially, meteorologists assumed that it was possibly an incorrect measurement. But then reports of damage came from the same area in Van Buren County:

“County Dispatch is reporting multiple reports of downed trees and power lines throughout the county, including in the South Haven area,” the NWS report said.

The winds associated with this clipper storm system and the arctic blast were responsible for producing snow squalls and whiteout conditions across the state. They are also the driving force behind more than 20,000 power outages across the state.

Other most frequently recorded wind gusts:

67 mph: Saugatuck

61mph: Whitehall

59 miles per hour: Holland

57 mph: Allegan County

54 miles per hour: Casnovia

54 mph: Grand Haven

52 mph: Ludington