Tornadoes · United States

Tornadoes in Michigan

1,141 tornadoes since 1950, an average of 15.0 a year, 25th of the 53 states and territories in the record. They have killed 222 people and injured 3,064. 17 were rated F4 or EF4 and above, 2 of them F5 or EF5.

The rating scale

Tracks are drawn in the color of the rating. The United States rated tornadoes on Ted Fujita’s F scale until 31 January 2007 and on the Enhanced Fujita scale after it. Both run from 0 to 5, and both rate the damage rather than measure the wind: the speeds are what that damage is taken to imply.

  1. F0 / EF040 to 72 mph on the F scale, 65 to 85 mph on the EF scale

    Light damage. Surface peeled off some roofs, gutters and siding damaged, branches broken, shallow-rooted trees pushed over.

  2. F1 / EF173 to 112 mph on the F scale, 86 to 110 mph on the EF scale

    Moderate damage. Roofs badly stripped, mobile homes overturned or badly damaged, exterior doors lost, windows broken.

  3. F2 / EF2113 to 157 mph on the F scale, 111 to 135 mph on the EF scale

    Considerable damage. Roofs torn off well-built houses, frame homes shifted on their foundations, mobile homes destroyed, large trees snapped or uprooted, cars lifted off the ground.

  4. F3 / EF3158 to 206 mph on the F scale, 136 to 165 mph on the EF scale

    Severe damage. Whole stories of well-built houses destroyed, large buildings badly damaged, trains overturned, trees debarked, heavy cars lifted and thrown.

  5. F4 / EF4207 to 260 mph on the F scale, 166 to 200 mph on the EF scale

    Devastating damage. Well-built houses leveled, structures with weak foundations moved some distance, cars thrown and large missiles generated.

  6. F5 / EF5261 to 318 mph on the F scale, over 200 mph on the EF scale

    Incredible damage. Strong frame houses swept off their foundations, car-sized missiles thrown more than 100 meters, steel-reinforced concrete badly damaged, high-rise buildings deformed.

  7. Unrated

    The survey recorded a tornado but could not put a number on it, most often because it crossed open country and damaged nothing a rating can be read from.

The deadliest in Michigan

  1. F5, Genesee and Lapeer counties, MichiganJune 8, 1953116 killed, 844 injured
  2. F4, Branch, Hillsdale, Lenawee and Monroe counties, MichiganApril 11, 196521 killed, 293 injured
  3. F5, Allegan, Ottawa, Kent and Montcalm counties, MichiganApril 3, 195617 killed, 292 injured
  4. F4, Macomb County, MichiganMay 8, 196411 killed, 224 injured
  5. F3, Kalamazoo County, MichiganMay 13, 19805 killed, 79 injured
  6. F4, Ottawa and Kent counties, MichiganApril 11, 19655 killed, 142 injured
  7. F2, Iosco County, MichiganJune 8, 19534 killed, 13 injured
  8. F4, Monroe County, MichiganJune 8, 19534 killed, 18 injured
  9. F4, Genesee County, MichiganMay 12, 19563 killed, 116 injured
  10. EF2, Ingham and Livingston counties, MichiganAugust 24, 20232 killed, 4 injured
  11. EF3, Otsego and Antrim counties, MichiganMay 20, 20222 killed, 44 injured
  12. EF2, Ingham and Shiawassee counties, MichiganOctober 18, 20072 killed, 1 injured

The strongest

  1. F5, Allegan, Ottawa, Kent and Montcalm counties, MichiganApril 3, 1956F5, 58.8 mi (95 km)
  2. F5, Genesee and Lapeer counties, MichiganJune 8, 1953F5, 18.9 mi (30 km)
  3. F4, Branch, Hillsdale, Lenawee and Monroe counties, MichiganApril 11, 1965F4, 80.5 mi (130 km)
  4. F4, Manistee, Benzie, Grand Traverse and Leelanau counties, MichiganApril 3, 1956F4, 50.3 mi (81 km)
  5. F4, Lapeer and Saint Clair counties, MichiganJune 8, 1953F4, 33.8 mi (54 km)
  6. F4, Livingston and Oakland counties, MichiganJuly 4, 1957F4, 29.9 mi (48 km)
  7. F4, Clinton and Shiawassee counties, MichiganApril 11, 1965F4, 21.0 mi (34 km)
  8. F4, Ottawa and Kent counties, MichiganApril 11, 1965F4, 20.6 mi (33 km)
  9. F4, Eaton County, MichiganApril 2, 1977F4, 16.6 mi (27 km)
  10. F4, Kalamazoo County, MichiganApril 2, 1977F4, 12.4 mi (20 km)
  11. F4, Clinton County, MichiganApril 21, 1967F4, 12.0 mi (19 km)
  12. F4, Saint Clair County, MichiganMay 21, 1953F4, 10.0 mi (16 km)

The longest paths

  1. F4, Branch, Hillsdale, Lenawee and Monroe counties, MichiganApril 11, 196580.5 mi (130 km)
  2. F3, Dickinson, Menominee, Delta and Schoolcraft counties, MichiganJuly 11, 198771.0 mi (114 km)
  3. F2, Kalamazoo, Calhoun and Eaton counties, MichiganMay 28, 195564.6 mi (104 km)
  4. F3, Mecosta and Osceola counties, MichiganApril 23, 196860.9 mi (98 km)
  5. F3, Van Buren, Allegan, Barry and Kent counties, MichiganApril 3, 195660.6 mi (98 km)
  6. F5, Allegan, Ottawa, Kent and Montcalm counties, MichiganApril 3, 195658.8 mi (95 km)
  7. F1, Shiawassee, Genesee and Lapeer counties, MichiganJune 2, 197157.9 mi (93 km)
  8. F2, Kent, Ionia, Eaton and Ingham counties, MichiganAugust 5, 196852.7 mi (85 km)
  9. F4, Manistee, Benzie, Grand Traverse and Leelanau counties, MichiganApril 3, 195650.3 mi (81 km)
  10. F3, Bay and Huron counties, MichiganJune 12, 198448.0 mi (77 km)
  11. F2, Berrien and Van Buren counties, MichiganMarch 4, 197644.8 mi (72 km)
  12. F2, Barry and Calhoun counties, MichiganJuly 15, 198642.5 mi (68 km)

The costliest

  1. F2, Wayne County, MichiganJuly 2, 1997$90 million
  2. EF2, Ingham and Livingston counties, MichiganAugust 24, 2023$75 million
  3. EF3, Otsego and Antrim counties, MichiganMay 20, 2022$50 million
  4. EF2, Kalamazoo County, MichiganMay 7, 2024$50 million
  5. EF2, Monroe County, MichiganJune 6, 2010$50 million
  6. EF3, Eaton County, MichiganAugust 24, 2007$40 million
  7. F0, Macomb County, MichiganJuly 2, 1997$30 million
  8. EF2, Livingston, Genesee and Oakland counties, MichiganAugust 24, 2007$24 million
  9. EF2, Ingham and Shiawassee counties, MichiganOctober 18, 2007$15 million
  10. F1, Eaton and Ingham counties, MichiganSeptember 9, 2001$15 million
  11. EF3, Washtenaw County, MichiganMarch 15, 2012$12 million
  12. EF1, Kent County, MichiganAugust 24, 2023$10 million

The biggest days in Michigan

  1. May 21, 200119tornadoes
  2. July 2, 199715tornadoes
  3. June 17, 199215tornadoes
  4. March 27, 199115tornadoes
  5. March 30, 202514tornadoes
  6. May 15, 202512tornadoes
  7. April 11, 196512tornadoes
  8. October 18, 200710tornadoes
  9. April 21, 196710tornadoes
  10. May 12, 195610tornadoes
  11. June 26, 19739tornadoes
  12. September 14, 19908tornadoes

Every year

YearTornadoesDeathsInjuriesF4 and above
202532
202417115
20231424
20224244
2021196
20202
20198
201815
20179
201615
2015147
2014136
201312
20126
201114
201027115
20093
2008151
20072339
200610
20055
200423
2003132
2002111
2001348
20004
1999102
19982112
199718298
199613
1995103
1994112
1993115
19922131
19912919
1990211
1989152
19882718
198723117
1986265
19851116
19842212
19831914
19822017
19814
198019597
1979227
19781912
1977311692
1976323931
197526118
197439351
19733310
1972169
197185
19703
1969865
196820114
196719561
196611
196515284773
196414112331
1963511
19625
196141
19606
19592
19587
1957121181
195623224874
1955122
1954122
1953161279824
1951814

Every county in Michigan

A tornado is counted once for every county its path crossed, so these add up to more than 1,141. Each county has a page of its own: every tornado that crossed it, year by year.

CountyTornadoesDeaths
Genesee County51120
Kent County4422
Monroe County3925
Wayne County382
Allegan County3619
Oakland County363
Shiawassee County353
Berrien County32
Ingham County325
Lenawee County3221
Livingston County294
Washtenaw County282
Ionia County27
Kalamazoo County275
Saginaw County27
Eaton County262
Hillsdale County2523
Ottawa County2422
Saint Clair County243
Macomb County2312
Tuscola County23
Barry County211
Lapeer County21116
Sanilac County21
Jackson County203
Branch County1922
Calhoun County19
Cass County19
Clinton County191
Van Buren County19
Huron County18
Ogemaw County171
Bay County15
Gratiot County152
Saint Joseph County15
Alpena County14
Antrim County142
Newaygo County142
Osceola County14
Crawford County13
Iosco County134
Isabella County13
Alcona County12
Delta County12
Mecosta County12
Montcalm County1217
Marquette County11
Clare County10
Gladwin County10
Midland County10
Arenac County9
Roscommon County9
Dickinson County8
Iron County8
Kalkaska County81
Missaukee County8
Muskegon County8
Wexford County8
Cheboygan County7
Chippewa County7
Oscoda County7
Presque Isle County7
Alger County6
Menominee County61
Montmorency County6
Otsego County62
Emmet County5
Grand Traverse County51
Mackinac County5
Mason County5
Oceana County5
Benzie County41
Charlevoix County4
Gogebic County4
Lake County4
Leelanau County41
Luce County4
Ontonagon County3
Schoolcraft County3
Baraga County2
Keweenaw County2
Manistee County21
Elkhart County1
Houghton County1

Nearby

Warnings in force in MichiganForecast for your townThe live radar over Michigan

What this means

Ratings are the survey's, read off the damage rather than measured; the rating scale is above. Tornado counts rise through the record as reporting improved, so a year in the 1950s is not comparable with one today except for the strongest tornadoes, which were always noticed.

Sources

NOAA Storm Prediction Center tornado database, 1950-2025, the official record kept by NOAA's Storm Prediction Center.