NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Dowagiac, 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
5 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Dowagiac, Michigan since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Ike in 2008. Since 1950, 78 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 4 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 5
- Tornadoes
- 78
- EF3 or stronger
- 4
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
1 deaths in all
What the records show for Dowagiac
None of the 5 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Dowagiac; the strongest was an unnamed storm in 1900, a tropical storm with 60 mph winds when its centre passed 70 miles away. The record near Dowagiac begins with an unnamed storm in 1900; the most recent system was Ike in 2008, a tropical storm 64 miles away. Of the 5 systems, one has come since 2000. Dowagiac has more tropical storms and hurricanes within 75 miles than 48% of the 546 Michigan cities on this site. The highest rating among the 78 tornadoes within 25 miles is F3, reached 4 times; the most recent, on October 24, 2001, came within 11 miles. Of the 78, 5 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 28 have come since 2000. June has had the most tornadoes, 24. The most recent tornado was on March 30, 2025. Dowagiac has more tornadoes within 25 miles than 68% of the 546 Michigan cities. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 35 times since 1956, with stones up to 2 inches (hen egg size). Of the 546 Michigan cities, 49% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Dowagiac.
Compare Dowagiac's storm record with another city →
Tropical storms and hurricanes near Dowagiac
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | IkeSep 14 | 64 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1941 | Unnamed 1941 stormSep 25 | 4 mi | Tropical storm (45 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1932 | Unnamed 1932 stormSep 3 | 28 mi | Tropical storm (45 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1923 | Unnamed 1923 stormOct 19 | 29 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1900 | Unnamed 1900 stormSep 11 | 70 mi | Tropical storm (60 mph) | Category 4 |
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Dowagiac: 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 Dowagiac
By decade
- 2020s6
- 2010s13
- 2000s9(1 EF3+)
- 1990s5
- 1980s14(1 EF3+)
- 1970s13
- 1960s10(1 EF3+)
- 1950s8(1 EF3+)
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 24, 2001 | F3 | 11 mi | 47 mi | 1 / 2 |
| May 13, 1980 | F3 | 16 mi | 21 mi | 0 / 15 |
| Apr 30, 1962 | F3 | 19 mi | 36.5 mi | 0 / 49 |
| Apr 3, 1956 | F3 | 18 mi | 60.6 mi | 0 / 12 |
| Aug 6, 2024 | EF2 | 19 mi | 8.46 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 5, 2010 | EF2 | 3 mi | 2.73 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 5, 2010 | EF2 | 16 mi | 3.38 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Oct 24, 2001 | F2 | 23 mi | 4.6 mi | 0 / 3 |
| Aug 25, 1998 | F2 | 14 mi | 26 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jul 13, 1992 | F2 | 3 mi | 4 mi | 0 / 25 |
| Sep 29, 1986 | F2 | 19 mi | 3.8 mi | 0 / 1 |
| Jun 19, 1986 | F2 | 9 mi | 1.3 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 12 of 78, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Dowagiac
The Storm Prediction Center has 35 hail reports within 10 miles of Dowagiac since 1956, made on 24 separate days. Of these, 18 were 1 inch across or larger, and 2 reached 2 inches. The largest size, 2 inches (hen egg size), was reported on 2 days, most recently June 20, 2021. The most recent report is from September 21, 2025. June has the most reports, 12.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Dowagiac
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Dowagiac 1 W, MI, 1 mile southwest of Dowagiac at 740 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 82°F and low of 60°F; January is the coolest, at 31°F and 16°F. June and October are the wettest at 4.3 inches of precipitation on average and February and March the driest at 2.4 inches; the year adds up to 41.7 inches over 87 days with at least a tenth of an inch. Highs reach 90°F on about 11 days a year, almost all from June to September. Lows fall below freezing on about 145 nights a year. That 41.7 inches is more than at 129 of the 131 Michigan stations used on this site (98%). Eau Claire, 9 miles west, has its own station (Eau Claire 4 NE, MI): 38.5 inches a year, 3.2 less than here, and a July average high of 85°F against 82°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 31 | 16 | 3.1 | 9 |
| Feb | 34 | 18 | 2.4 | 7 |
| Mar | 44 | 25 | 2.4 | 6 |
| Apr | 57 | 36 | 3.7 | 7 |
| May | 69 | 47 | 4.2 | 8 |
| Jun | 78 | 57 | 4.3 | 7 |
| Jul | 82 | 60 | 4.1 | 7 |
| Aug | 80 | 58 | 4.1 | 7 |
| Sep | 74 | 51 | 3.4 | 6 |
| Oct | 61 | 40 | 4.3 | 8 |
| Nov | 47 | 31 | 2.9 | 7 |
| Dec | 36 | 23 | 2.8 | 8 |
| Year | 58 | 38 | 41.7 | 87 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Dowagiac 1 W, MI (740 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 Dowagiac
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 97 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Dowagiac: 89 thunderstorm wind reports, 5 floods, 2 flash floods and 1 lightning strike. They killed 2 people and injured 2, and the NWS estimated $1.6 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 86 mph, on June 5, 2010.
May 21, 2004: thunderstorm wind 9 miles from the centre of Dowagiac — 1 killed, $10,000 damage.
August 3, 2022: thunderstorm wind 4 miles from the centre of Dowagiac — 1 killed.
NWS: “Local law enforcement reported a large tree limb fell onto the cab of a vehicle, spun the limb into the road way while the vehicle continued westbound, striking another tree on the side of the road. A 17 year old male was pronounced dead at the scene.”
March 15, 2000: thunderstorm wind 2 miles from the centre of Dowagiac — 1 injured, $10,000 damage.
NWS: “A strong thunderstorm microburst blew down trees, branches, and windows out of a house. A woman at the residence at the time was outside when the storm hit and suffered minor injuries from the blown debris.”
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
Cass County, which includes Dowagiac, has been named in 9 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1977, 3 of them major disasters (by incident: 4 snowstorms, 2 biological emergencies, 1 flood, 1 hurricane). The latest major disaster declaration was Covid-19 Pandemic, on March 27, 2020. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Cass County a Relatively Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively High for strong wind; Relatively Moderate for hail; Relatively Low for tornadoes, inland flooding, lightning and heat waves; Very Low for hurricanes. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $13.7 million a year, the 44th highest of 83 Michigan counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $7.1 million (52%), 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 Dowagiac
- Eau Claire, MI9 mi
- Cassopolis, MI10 mi
- Decatur, MI10 mi
- Berrien Springs, MI12 mi
- Vandalia, MI13 mi
- Niles, MI14 mi
- Hartford, MI14 mi
- Watervliet, MI14 mi
- Lawrence, MI15 mi
- Edwardsburg, MI15 mi
- Marcellus, MI16 mi
- Benton Harbor, MI17 mi
All Michigan cities →All hurricanes since 1851 →Compare Dowagiac with another place →