NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Bad Axe, MI
Every tropical system within 75 miles since 1851 and every tornado within 25 miles since 1950.
Data: NOAA NHC HURDAT2 and NOAA SPC tornado and hail reports, through 2025 · Updated
7 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Bad Axe, Michigan since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Ike in 2008. Since 1950, 30 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 1 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 7
- Tornadoes
- 30
- EF3 or stronger
- 1
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
no recorded deaths
What the records show for Bad Axe
None of the 7 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Bad Axe; the strongest was an unnamed storm in 1900, a tropical storm with 64 mph winds when its centre passed 12 miles away. The record near Bad Axe begins with an unnamed storm in 1892; the most recent system was Ike in 2008, a tropical storm 72 miles away. Of the 7 systems, one has come since 2000. Bad Axe is tied for the most tropical storms and hurricanes within 75 miles among the 546 Michigan cities on this site. The strongest of the 30 tornadoes within 25 miles was an F3 on June 12, 1984; its path came within 12 miles. Of the 30, one had a path within 5 miles of the city centre, and 16 have come since 2000. June has had the most tornadoes, 10. The most recent tornado was on July 26, 2025. Of the 546 Michigan cities, 79% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Bad Axe. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 32 times since 1969, with stones up to 2.75 inches (baseball size). Of the 546 Michigan cities, 55% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Bad Axe.
Compare Bad Axe's storm record with another city →
Tropical storms and hurricanes near Bad Axe
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | IkeSep 14 | 72 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1955 | ConnieAug 14 | 16 mi | Tropical storm (44 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1941 | Unnamed 1941 stormSep 25 | 38 mi | Tropical storm (54 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1932 | Unnamed 1932 stormSep 4 | 22 mi | Tropical storm (51 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1923 | Unnamed 1923 stormOct 19 | 29 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1900 | Unnamed 1900 stormSep 12 | 12 mi | Tropical storm (64 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1892 | Unnamed 1892 stormSep 14 | 37 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Tropical storm |
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Bad Axe: a hurricane's worst winds sit within a few dozen miles of its centre, and inland cities are usually past that.
Tornadoes within 25 miles of Bad Axe
By decade
- 2020s5
- 2010s4
- 2000s7
- 1990s3
- 1980s1(1 EF3+)
- 1970s8
- 1960s1
- 1950s1
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 12, 1984 | F3 | 12 mi | 48 mi | 0 / 2 |
| Jun 26, 2021 | EF2 | 15 mi | 6.84 mi | 0 / 6 |
| Jul 4, 1974 | F2 | 9 mi | 5.7 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 24, 1971 | F2 | 19 mi | 10.4 mi | 0 / 1 |
| Jul 26, 2025 | EF1 | 23 mi | 1.67 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Aug 2, 2015 | EF1 | 10 mi | 6.95 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 22, 2015 | EF1 | 21 mi | 22.94 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Oct 19, 2007 | EF1 | 13 mi | 1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Oct 18, 2007 | EF1 | 20 mi | 3 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 13, 2004 | F1 | 14 mi | 2 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 12, 2000 | F1 | 20 mi | 0.3 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 28, 1991 | F1 | 8 mi | 0.8 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 12 of 30, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Bad Axe
The Storm Prediction Center has 32 hail reports within 10 miles of Bad Axe since 1969, made on 23 separate days. Of these, 15 were 1 inch across or larger, and 3 reached 2 inches. The largest, 2.75 inches (baseball size), fell on May 15, 2007. The most recent report is from August 2, 2015. May has the most reports, 10.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Bad Axe
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Bad Axe, MI, in Bad Axe at 715 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 80°F and low of 60°F; January is the coolest, at 28°F and 16°F. July is the wettest at 3.7 inches of precipitation on average and March the driest at 1.8 inches; the year adds up to 33.1 inches over 74 days with at least a tenth of an inch. Highs reach 90°F on about 6 days a year, almost all from June to August. Lows fall below freezing on about 150 nights a year. That 33.1 inches is more than at 43 of the 131 Michigan stations used on this site (33%). Port Austin, 15 miles north, has its own station (Port Hope, MI): 30.4 inches a year, 2.7 less than here, and a July average high of 77°F against 80°F.
Water temperature at the NOAA tide station Harbor Beach, MI, 18 miles east, averaged 70°F in August and 37°F in February over 2021–2025. No month averaged 80°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" | Water °F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 28 | 16 | 2.0 | 6 | 37 |
| Feb | 30 | 16 | 1.9 | 5 | 37 |
| Mar | 40 | 23 | 1.8 | 5 | 39 |
| Apr | 53 | 33 | 3.2 | 7 | 45 |
| May | 66 | 45 | 3.3 | 8 | 52 |
| Jun | 76 | 55 | 3.2 | 7 | 59 |
| Jul | 80 | 60 | 3.7 | 6 | 68 |
| Aug | 79 | 59 | 3.4 | 6 | 70 |
| Sep | 72 | 51 | 3.2 | 6 | 67 |
| Oct | 59 | 41 | 2.9 | 7 | 58 |
| Nov | 45 | 31 | 2.4 | 6 | 47 |
| Dec | 34 | 23 | 2.1 | 6 | 39 |
| Year | 55 | 38 | 33.1 | 74 | 51 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Bad Axe, MI (715 ft), from NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals; water temperature: average of hourly readings 2021–2025 at the NOAA tide station Harbor Beach, MI, from NOAA Tides & Currents. Normals describe the station; the farther a place is from it, and the bigger the difference in height, the more its weather can differ.
Floods, thunderstorm wind and lightning near Bad Axe
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 57 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Bad Axe: 56 thunderstorm wind reports and 1 flash flood. None is recorded as killing or injuring anyone; the NWS estimated $698,000 in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 98 mph, on July 17, 2006.
June 8, 2008: thunderstorm wind in Bad Axe — $500,000 damage.
NWS: “Large trees uprooted and flagpoles snapped in half in downtown Bad Axe. Local media also reported some building damage in Bad Axe.”
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, events whose starting point is on record, 1996 to June 30, 2026. Damage is the NWS estimate in the dollars of the year, not insured losses, and NWS notes that some reports are unverified.
Flood insurance claims, disaster declarations and FEMA risk ratings
Huron County, which includes Bad Axe, has been named in 8 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1973, 4 of them major disasters (by incident: 3 floods, 2 biological emergencies, 2 snowstorms, 1 hurricane). The latest major disaster declaration was Covid-19 Pandemic, on March 27, 2020. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Huron County a Relatively Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively Moderate for strong wind; Relatively Low for tornadoes, hail, inland flooding, lightning and heat waves; Very Low for hurricanes and coastal flooding. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $18.3 million a year, the 37th highest of 83 Michigan counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $9.2 million (50%), is from inland flooding.
Claims: FEMA, OpenFEMA Dataset FIMA NFIP Redacted Claims – v3, summed over ZIP codes; payments in the dollars of each year, not adjusted for inflation. Declarations: Disaster Declarations Summaries – v2, by county. Retrieved October 25, 2026. This product uses the Federal Emergency Management Agency's OpenFEMA API, but is not endorsed by FEMA. The Federal Government or FEMA cannot vouch for the data or analyses derived from these data after the data have been retrieved from the Agency's website(s).
Risk ratings: FEMA, National Risk Index county table, December 2025 (v1.20), retrieved October 26, 2026; ratings compare counties nationwide, are meant for planning and are no substitute for a local risk assessment. This product uses the Federal Emergency Management Agency's National Risk Index dataset API or downloadable datasets but is not endorsed by FEMA. The Federal Government or FEMA cannot vouch for the data or analyses derived from these data after the data have been retrieved from the Agency's website(s).
What counts as a pass, the distances and the sources: how this storm history is built.
Cities near Bad Axe
- Ubly, MI10 mi
- Pigeon, MI15 mi
- Port Austin, MI15 mi
- Harbor Beach, MI15 mi
- Cass City, MI16 mi
- Sebewaing, MI22 mi
- Deckerville, MI24 mi
- Unionville, MI26 mi
- Sandusky, MI28 mi
- Kingston, MI28 mi
- Caro, MI29 mi
- Carsonville, MI32 mi
All Michigan cities →All hurricanes since 1851 →Compare Bad Axe with another place →