Tornadoes · United States · Michigan

Tornadoes in Genesee County, Michigan

51 tornadoes have crossed Genesee County since 1950, 1st of the 83 counties in Michigan with a tornado on record, an average of one every 1.5 years. They have killed 120 people and injured 977. 2 were rated F4 or EF4 and above, 1 at the top of the scale.

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.

Now

Tornadoes
51
Deaths
120
Injuries
977
F4 and above
2
Worst on record
F5, June 8, 1953

The deadliest in Genesee County

  1. F5 Flint–Beecher tornado, MichiganJune 8, 1953116 killed, 844 injured
  2. F4, Genesee County, MichiganMay 12, 19563 killed, 116 injured
  3. F3, Genesee County, MichiganJuly 2, 19971 killed, 1 injured

The strongest

  1. F5 Flint–Beecher tornado, MichiganJune 8, 1953F5, 18.9 mi (30 km)
  2. F4, Genesee County, MichiganMay 12, 1956F4, 6.6 mi (11 km)
  3. F3, Genesee County, MichiganJuly 2, 1997F3, 2.0 mi (3 km)
  4. F3, Genesee County, MichiganJuly 2, 1997F3, 1.7 mi (3 km)
  5. F3, Genesee County, MichiganJuly 14, 1974F3, 1.0 mi (2 km)
  6. F3, Genesee County, MichiganAugust 8, 1984F3, 0.8 mi (1 km)
  7. EF2, Livingston, Genesee and Oakland counties, MichiganAugust 24, 2007EF2, 23.5 mi (38 km)
  8. F2, Shiawassee and Genesee counties, MichiganSeptember 21, 1957F2, 21.9 mi (35 km)
  9. F2, Livingston and Genesee counties, MichiganMay 21, 2001F2, 10.9 mi (18 km)
  10. EF2, Genesee County, MichiganFebruary 28, 2024EF2, 5.7 mi (9 km)

Every year with a tornado

The 27 years of the 76 in the record with a tornado in Genesee County. Each year links to every tornado in Michigan that year.

YearTornadoesDeathsInjuriesStrongest
20251EF0
20241EF2
20221EF0
20211EF1
20192EF0
20134EF2
200721EF2
20042F0
20031F1
200123F2
19981F0
1997511F3
19961F0
199311F1
199031F2
198641F2
19844F3
19831F1
197722F2
19742F3
197321F0
197124F2
19681F0
19571F2
195613116F4
195422F2
19531116844F5

Every tornado that crossed Genesee County

51 tornadoes, newest first.

DateTimeRatingWherePath (mi)Width (yd)DeathsInjuriesDamage
May 15, 202512:35 AM EDTEF0Genesee1.2100
February 28, 20241:12 AM ESTEF2Genesee5.7450$1.0 million
July 11, 202211:33 PM EDTEF0Genesee7.440$70,000
July 24, 20216:21 PM EDTEF1Genesee1.9200$1.0 million
March 14, 20197:24 PM EDTEF0Genesee6.575$100,000
March 14, 20197:09 PM EDTEF0Genesee8.1125$75,000
May 28, 20139:54 PM EDTEF2Genesee4.6300$350,000
May 28, 20139:30 PM EDTEF2Genesee5.1500$225,000
May 28, 20139:09 PM EDTEF1Shiawassee9.9550$110,000
May 28, 20139:01 PM EDTEF1Genesee2.3400$100,000
October 18, 20071:06 AM EDTEF0Genesee2.550$100,000
August 24, 20075:30 PM EDTEF2Livingston23.54401$24 million
May 23, 20046:10 PM EDTF0Genesee0.15
May 23, 20046:00 PM EDTF0Genesee0.120
June 8, 20035:35 PM EDTF1Genesee3.0100$300,000
May 21, 20015:02 PM EDTF0Genesee7.3100$140,000
May 21, 20012:34 PM EDTF2Livingston10.92003$3.0 million
May 31, 19986:25 AM EDTF0Genesee0.130$10,000
July 2, 19974:45 PM EDTF3Genesee1.71,50011$3.8 million
July 2, 19974:30 PM EDTF3Genesee2.01,000$600,000
July 2, 19974:20 PM EDTF1Genesee0.373$50,000
July 2, 19974:20 PM EDTF1Genesee2.060
June 21, 19975:12 PM EDTF0Genesee0.110
June 7, 19966:15 PM EDTF0Genesee0.110
June 19, 19932:50 PM EDTF1Genesee0.1501$50,000 to $500,000
October 4, 19907:00 PM EDTF2Genesee3.0501$500,000 to $5 million
July 18, 19904:15 PM EDTF0Genesee3.030
July 18, 19904:15 PM EDTF1Genesee1.050$500 to $5,000
September 29, 19867:10 PM EDTF1Genesee1.320$500 to $5,000
September 29, 19866:51 PM EDTF2Genesee5.6400$50,000 to $500,000
August 26, 19867:00 PM EDTF0Genesee0.110
July 25, 19866:05 PM EDTF1Genesee5.7731$5,000 to $50,000
August 30, 19845:20 AM EDTF0Genesee2.0150$50,000 to $500,000
August 8, 19844:20 PM EDTF1Genesee0.540$5,000 to $50,000
August 8, 19844:15 PM EDTF3Genesee0.867$50,000 to $500,000
August 8, 19844:08 PM EDTF2Genesee3.060$500,000 to $5 million
June 26, 19831:05 AM EDTF1Genesee20.060$50,000 to $500,000
September 17, 197711:05 PM EDTF2Genesee2.0601$50,000 to $500,000
July 4, 197711:05 PM EDTF1Genesee6.9671$50,000 to $500,000
September 17, 19745:20 PM EDTF2Genesee0.810$5,000 to $50,000
July 14, 19745:22 PM EDTF3Genesee1.033$50,000 to $500,000
June 3, 19735:30 PM EDTF0Genesee0.110
June 3, 19735:15 PM EDTF0Genesee0.3101$500 to $5,000
August 10, 19714:15 PM ESTF2Genesee0.33001$50,000 to $500,000
June 2, 19712:12 PM ESTF1Shiawassee57.9273$50,000 to $500,000
June 11, 19685:00 PM GMT-4F0Genesee0.110
September 21, 19574:00 PM GMT-5F2Shiawassee21.933$500 to $5,000
May 12, 19566:25 PM GMT-5F4Genesee6.61003116$500,000 to $5 million
August 24, 19544:00 PM GMT-5F2Genesee1.317$50 to $500
April 7, 19547:40 PM GMT-5F2Genesee0.1332$5,000 to $50,000
June 8, 19538:30 PM GMT-5F5Flint–Beecher tornado18.9833116844$5 million to $50 million

Nearby

Warnings in force in Genesee CountyThe forecast for Genesee CountyThe live radar over Genesee CountyEvery county in 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.