NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Big Rapids, 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
3 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Big Rapids, Michigan since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was an unnamed storm in 1941. Since 1950, 35 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 2 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 3
- Tornadoes
- 35
- EF3 or stronger
- 2
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
19 deaths in all
What the records show for Big Rapids
None of the 3 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Big Rapids; the strongest was an unnamed storm in 1900, a tropical storm with 62 mph winds when its centre passed 36 miles away. The record near Big Rapids begins with an unnamed storm in 1900; the most recent system was an unnamed storm in 1941, a tropical storm 47 miles away. Of the 546 Michigan cities on this site, 75% have more tropical storms and hurricanes within 75 miles than Big Rapids. The strongest of the 35 tornadoes within 25 miles was an F5 on April 3, 1956; its path came within 24 miles, and it killed 17 people. Of the 35, 4 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 10 have come since 2000. June has had the most tornadoes, 7. The most recent tornado was on June 26, 2021. Of the 546 Michigan cities, 74% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Big Rapids. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 22 times since 1966, with stones up to 1.75 inches (golf ball size). Of the 546 Michigan cities, 77% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Big Rapids.
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Tropical storms and hurricanes near Big Rapids
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1941 | Unnamed 1941 stormSep 25 | 47 mi | Tropical storm (49 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1923 | Unnamed 1923 stormOct 19 | 69 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1900 | Unnamed 1900 stormSep 11 | 36 mi | Tropical storm (62 mph) | Category 4 |
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Big Rapids: 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 Big Rapids
By decade
- 2020s1
- 2010s5
- 2000s4
- 1990s7
- 1980s5
- 1970s6
- 1960s4(1 EF3+)
- 1950s3(1 EF3+)
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 3, 1956 | F5 | 24 mi | 58.8 mi | 17 / 292 |
| Apr 23, 1968 | F3 | in town | 60.9 mi | 0 / 11 |
| Jun 17, 1975 | F2 | 24 mi | 1.5 mi | 1 / 0 |
| Sep 26, 1951 | F2 | 17 mi | 2.3 mi | 1 / 3 |
| Jun 8, 1985 | F2 | 8 mi | 24 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 9, 1974 | F2 | in town | 1.5 mi | 0 / 2 |
| Apr 20, 1966 | F2 | 15 mi | 0.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 26, 2021 | EF1 | 16 mi | 2.86 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Aug 28, 2018 | EF1 | 21 mi | 1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 8, 2008 | EF1 | 12 mi | 5.27 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jul 25, 2005 | F1 | 23 mi | 4 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Oct 6, 1998 | F1 | in town | 10 mi | 0 / 12 |
The strongest 12 of 35, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Big Rapids
The Storm Prediction Center has 22 hail reports within 10 miles of Big Rapids since 1966, made on 19 separate days. Of these, 15 were 1 inch across or larger, and none reached 2 inches. The largest size, 1.75 inches (golf ball size), was reported on 2 days, most recently May 20, 2013. The most recent report is from May 16, 2025.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Big Rapids
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Big Rapids Wtp, MI, in Big Rapids at 898 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 81°F and low of 57°F; January is the coolest, at 28°F and 13°F. August is the wettest at 4.2 inches of precipitation on average and February the driest at 2.0 inches; the year adds up to 38.1 inches over 80 days with at least a tenth of an inch. Highs reach 90°F on about 8 days a year, almost all from June to August. Lows fall below freezing on about 168 nights a year. Snowfall averages 61.3 inches a year, most of it in January. That 38.1 inches is more than at 110 of the 131 Michigan stations used on this site (84%). White Cloud, 17 miles southwest, has its own station (Hesperia 4 WNW, MI): 36.0 inches a year, 2.1 less than here, and a July average high of 82°F against 81°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" | Snow in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 28 | 13 | 2.4 | 6 | 17.8 |
| Feb | 31 | 12 | 2.0 | 5 | 16.0 |
| Mar | 42 | 20 | 2.6 | 6 | 7.7 |
| Apr | 55 | 31 | 4.0 | 8 | 1.5 |
| May | 68 | 43 | 3.8 | 8 | 0.0 |
| Jun | 77 | 53 | 3.4 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Jul | 81 | 57 | 3.5 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Aug | 79 | 55 | 4.2 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Sep | 72 | 47 | 3.0 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Oct | 58 | 36 | 3.8 | 7 | 0.2 |
| Nov | 44 | 28 | 3.1 | 7 | 3.8 |
| Dec | 33 | 19 | 2.3 | 6 | 14.3 |
| Year | 56 | 34 | 38.1 | 80 | 61.3 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Big Rapids Wtp, MI (898 ft), from NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals. 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 Big Rapids
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 36 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Big Rapids: 30 thunderstorm wind reports, 3 floods, 2 flash floods and 1 lightning strike. They killed 0 people and injured 4, and the NWS estimated $11.3 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 90 mph, on August 28, 2018.
July 22, 2009: lightning strike in Big Rapids — 4 injured.
NWS: “A non severe morning thunderstorm produced lightning that struck pine trees very close to where four construction workers were standing, injuring all of them. This occurred at Ferris State University in Big Rapids.”
January 30, 2013: flood 5 miles from the centre of Big Rapids — $4.6 million damage.
NWS: “A significant ice jam on the Muskegon River resulted in evacuations of over a dozen homes along the Muskegon River near Rogers Heights, all of which were flooded. Riverside Drive and 183rd Avenue (12th Mile Road) in particular were local areas of particularly significant flooding.”
April 17, 2013: flood 5 miles from the centre of Big Rapids — $3.0 million damage.
NWS: “Significant flooding occurred on rivers and streams across Mecosta county due to significant rainfall from early to mid April.”
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
Flood insurance policyholders in Big Rapids's ZIP code 49307 have filed 42 claims with the National Flood Insurance Program since 1986, and were paid $1.0 million for buildings and contents, in the dollars of each year. The year with the most claims was 2013, with 11. 14% of the claims carry the name of a storm or flood event; the rest have no event name. Of the 160 Michigan cities on this site with 10 or more claims, 90 have fewer than Big Rapids.
Mecosta County, which includes Big Rapids, has been named in 13 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1975, 7 of them major disasters (by incident: 4 floods, 3 snowstorms, 2 biological emergencies, 2 severe storms). The latest major disaster declaration was Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding, on June 30, 2026. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Mecosta County a Relatively Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Very High for strong wind; Relatively Low for tornadoes, hail, inland flooding and lightning; Very Low for hurricanes and heat waves. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $23.7 million a year, the 28th highest of 83 Michigan counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $11.3 million (48%), is from strong wind.
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 Big Rapids
- Stanwood, MI9 mi
- Hersey, MI11 mi
- Mecosta, MI12 mi
- Morley, MI14 mi
- Reed City, MI15 mi
- White Cloud, MI17 mi
- Evart, MI17 mi
- Remus, MI20 mi
- Howard City, MI20 mi
- Lakeview, MI21 mi
- Newaygo, MI22 mi
- Leroy, MI23 mi
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