NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Caro, 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 Caro, Michigan since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Ike in 2008. Since 1950, 48 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 4 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 7
- Tornadoes
- 48
- EF3 or stronger
- 4
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
117 deaths in all
What the records show for Caro
None of the 7 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Caro; the strongest was an unnamed storm in 1900, a tropical storm with 64 mph winds when its centre passed 4 miles away. The record near Caro begins with an unnamed storm in 1892; the most recent system was Ike in 2008, a tropical storm 66 miles away. Of the 7 systems, one has come since 2000. Caro is tied for the most tropical storms and hurricanes within 75 miles among the 546 Michigan cities on this site. The strongest of the 48 tornadoes within 25 miles was an F5 on June 8, 1953; its path came within 22 miles, and it killed 116 people. Of the 48, 2 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 19 have come since 2000. June has had the most tornadoes, 14. The most recent tornado was on May 17, 2024. Of the 546 Michigan cities, 63% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Caro. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 33 times since 1961, with stones up to 1.75 inches (golf ball size). Of the 546 Michigan cities, 53% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Caro.
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Tropical storms and hurricanes near Caro
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | IkeSep 14 | 66 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1955 | ConnieAug 14 | 45 mi | Tropical storm (45 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1941 | Unnamed 1941 stormSep 25 | 39 mi | Tropical storm (53 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1932 | Unnamed 1932 stormSep 4 | 17 mi | Tropical storm (49 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1923 | Unnamed 1923 stormOct 19 | 26 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1900 | Unnamed 1900 stormSep 12 | 4 mi | Tropical storm (64 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1892 | Unnamed 1892 stormSep 14 | 48 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 Caro: 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 Caro
By decade
- 2020s3
- 2010s7
- 2000s9
- 1990s6(2 EF3+)
- 1980s7(1 EF3+)
- 1970s9
- 1960s4
- 1950s3(1 EF3+)
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 8, 1953 | F5 | 22 mi | 18.9 mi | 116 / 844 |
| Jul 2, 1997 | F3 | 24 mi | 1.7 mi | 1 / 1 |
| Jun 21, 1996 | F3 | 21 mi | 1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 12, 1984 | F3 | 20 mi | 48 mi | 0 / 2 |
| Jun 22, 2015 | EF2 | 18 mi | 11.27 mi | 0 / 2 |
| Aug 30, 1984 | F2 | 10 mi | 5.6 mi | 0 / 4 |
| Aug 7, 1984 | F2 | 13 mi | 0.4 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 15, 1982 | F2 | 12 mi | 6 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jul 4, 1974 | F2 | 15 mi | 5.7 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Aug 10, 1971 | F2 | 24 mi | 0.3 mi | 0 / 1 |
| May 24, 1971 | F2 | in town | 10.4 mi | 0 / 1 |
| Apr 11, 1965 | F2 | 12 mi | 9 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 12 of 48, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Caro
The Storm Prediction Center has 33 hail reports within 10 miles of Caro since 1961, made on 28 separate days. Of these, 13 were 1 inch across or larger, and none reached 2 inches. The largest, 1.75 inches (golf ball size), fell on May 22, 1984. The most recent report is from April 23, 2024. May has the most reports, 9.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Caro
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Caro Wwtp, MI, in Caro at 690 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 82°F and low of 60°F; January is the coolest, at 29°F and 15°F. May is the wettest at 3.7 inches of precipitation on average and February the driest at 1.6 inches; the year adds up to 34.3 inches over 78 days with at least a tenth of an inch. Highs reach 90°F on about 10 days a year, almost all from June to August. Lows fall below freezing on about 152 nights a year. Snowfall averages 41.6 inches a year, most of it in January. That 34.3 inches is more than at 67 of the 131 Michigan stations used on this site (51%). Vassar, 13 miles southwest, has its own station (Vassar, MI): 34.4 inches a year, the same as here, and the same July average high, 82°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" | Snow in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 29 | 15 | 2.2 | 6 | 13.1 |
| Feb | 32 | 15 | 1.6 | 5 | 8.0 |
| Mar | 42 | 23 | 1.9 | 6 | 5.5 |
| Apr | 55 | 34 | 3.6 | 7 | 1.0 |
| May | 68 | 45 | 3.7 | 8 | 0.0 |
| Jun | 78 | 55 | 3.6 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Jul | 82 | 60 | 3.5 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Aug | 80 | 57 | 3.3 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Sep | 73 | 50 | 3.2 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Oct | 60 | 40 | 3.1 | 8 | 0.0 |
| Nov | 46 | 31 | 2.5 | 6 | 2.3 |
| Dec | 35 | 22 | 2.1 | 6 | 11.7 |
| Year | 57 | 37 | 34.3 | 78 | 41.6 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Caro Wwtp, MI (690 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 Caro
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 71 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Caro: 68 thunderstorm wind reports, 2 floods and 1 flash flood. None is recorded as killing or injuring anyone; the NWS estimated $303,000 in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 81 mph, on September 11, 1996.
May 31, 1998: thunderstorm wind in Caro — $100,000 damage.
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
Tuscola County, which includes Caro, has been named in 12 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1972, 8 of them major disasters (by incident: 5 floods, 2 biological emergencies, 2 severe storms, 2 snowstorms). The latest major disaster declaration was Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding, on June 30, 2026. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Tuscola County a Relatively Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively High for strong wind; Relatively Moderate for tornadoes and inland flooding; Relatively Low for hail, 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 $27.6 million a year, the 25th highest of 83 Michigan counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $16.5 million (60%), 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 Caro
- Mayville, MI10 mi
- Unionville, MI11 mi
- Kingston, MI12 mi
- Vassar, MI13 mi
- Cass City, MI13 mi
- Reese, MI15 mi
- Millington, MI17 mi
- Sebewaing, MI17 mi
- Fostoria, MI17 mi
- Frankenmuth, MI21 mi
- Marlette, MI21 mi
- North Branch, MI21 mi
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