Michigan, 1980

Tornadoes and Hail in Michigan, May 13, 1980

May 13, 1980 · NWS NG · 9 events in 5 counties and zones

6 thunderstorm wind, 2 tornado, 1 hail, as filed by the National Weather Service.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it. Tap one for its entry below.

  • Tornadoes
  • Tropical storms and surge
  • Floods
  • Wind
  • Hail
  • Winter weather
  • Heat and drought
  • Cold
  • Fire, smoke and dust
  • Marine and coastal
  • Other

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The toll

Deaths
5
Injuries
94
Property damage
$28 million
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
9

Deaths and injuries are direct and indirect together, as the offices filed them. Damage is property and crops in the dollars of the year, not adjusted for inflation, and only where an office estimated it.

Event by event

6 thunderstorm wind, 2 tornado, 1 hail. Local standard time, as filed.

Hail, Van Buren

When
May 13, 1:25 PM CST
Where
Van Buren County
Measured
1 in hail
Coordinates
42.320, -86.120

Tornado, Van Buren

When
May 13, 1:28 PM CST
Where
Van Buren County
Rating
F3
Path length
21 mi
Path width
300 yd
Injuries
15 direct, 0 indirect
Property damage
$2.5 million
Coordinates
42.220, -86.220

Tornado, Kalamazoo

When
May 13, 1:58 PM CST
Where
Kalamazoo County
Rating
F3
Path length
10.6 mi
Path width
450 yd
Deaths
5 direct, 0 indirect
Injuries
79 direct, 0 indirect
Property damage
$25 million
Coordinates
42.300, -85.720

Thunderstorm Wind, Kalamazoo

When
May 13, 2:15 PM CST
Where
Kalamazoo County
Measured
61 kt (70 mph)
Coordinates
42.280, -85.570

Thunderstorm Wind, Jackson

When
May 13, 2:55 PM CST
Where
Jackson County
Coordinates
42.230, -84.400

Thunderstorm Wind, Washtenaw

When
May 13, 3:22 PM CST
Where
Washtenaw County
Measured
50 kt (58 mph)
Coordinates
42.280, -83.730

Thunderstorm Wind, Washtenaw

When
May 13, 3:25 PM CST
Where
Washtenaw County
Coordinates
42.080, -83.670

Thunderstorm Wind, Washtenaw

When
May 13, 3:28 PM CST
Where
Washtenaw County
Measured
53 kt (61 mph)
Coordinates
42.200, -83.630

Thunderstorm Wind, Livingston

When
May 13, 3:30 PM CST
Where
Livingston County
Coordinates
42.600, -83.930

What these are

Hail
Hail three-quarters of an inch or larger, or smaller hail that caused damage, filed with the largest stone measured.
Tornado
A violently rotating column of air in contact with the ground and extending from a thunderstorm, filed with its path, width and Fujita or Enhanced Fujita rating from the damage survey.
Thunderstorm Wind
Winds from a thunderstorm of 50 knots (58 mph) or more, or lower winds that caused damage or casualties. Measured gusts are marked MG, estimated EG.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in Michigan in 1980Every state in 1980This day in weather historyThe tornado archive for Michigan, 1980

Sources

NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database, compiled from the National Weather Service’s monthly Storm Data. Complete through 2026-06; NCEI adds each month about 75 days after it ends and revises past years a few times a year. Rebuilt 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 10039304, 10039305, 10039306, 10039307, 10039308, 10039309, 10039310, 10039311, 10039312.