NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Farwell, 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 Farwell, Michigan since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was an unnamed storm in 1941. Since 1950, 37 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 0 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 3
- Tornadoes
- 37
- EF3 or stronger
- 0
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
no recorded deaths
What the records show for Farwell
None of the 3 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Farwell; the strongest was an unnamed storm in 1900, a tropical storm with 62 mph winds when its centre passed 38 miles away. The record near Farwell begins with an unnamed storm in 1900; the most recent system was an unnamed storm in 1941, a tropical storm 31 miles away. Of the 546 Michigan cities on this site, 75% have more tropical storms and hurricanes within 75 miles than Farwell. The highest rating among the 37 tornadoes within 25 miles is F2, reached 7 times; the most recent, on March 27, 1991, came within 18 miles. Of the 37, one had a path within 5 miles of the city centre, and 10 have come since 2000. June and July have had the most tornadoes, 11 each. The most recent tornado was on July 5, 2024. Of the 546 Michigan cities, 72% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Farwell. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 24 times since 1966, with stones up to 1.75 inches (golf ball size). Of the 546 Michigan cities, 72% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Farwell.
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Tropical storms and hurricanes near Farwell
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1941 | Unnamed 1941 stormSep 25 | 31 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1923 | Unnamed 1923 stormOct 19 | 49 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1900 | Unnamed 1900 stormSep 11 | 38 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 Farwell: 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 Farwell
By decade
- 2020s2
- 2010s2
- 2000s6
- 1990s9
- 1980s5
- 1970s7
- 1960s3
- 1950s3
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 27, 1991 | F2 | 18 mi | 4 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 8, 1985 | F2 | 23 mi | 24 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 21, 1975 | F2 | 21 mi | 1.6 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Oct 7, 1965 | F2 | 7 mi | 2 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jul 31, 1963 | F2 | 22 mi | 19.6 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 12, 1956 | F2 | 23 mi | 9.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 7, 1955 | F2 | 19 mi | 3.8 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jul 5, 2024 | EF1 | 8 mi | 12.11 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Mar 12, 2012 | EF1 | 17 mi | 5.11 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 8, 2008 | EF1 | 25 mi | 5.27 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 9, 2001 | F1 | 25 mi | 3 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 21, 2001 | F1 | 24 mi | 4 mi | 0 / 1 |
The strongest 12 of 37, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Farwell
The Storm Prediction Center has 24 hail reports within 10 miles of Farwell since 1966, made on 22 separate days. Of these, 11 were 1 inch across or larger, and none reached 2 inches. The largest size, 1.75 inches (golf ball size), was reported on 3 days, most recently April 7, 2020. The most recent report is from April 7, 2020. June has the most reports, 8.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Farwell
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Gladwin, MI, 21 miles northeast of Farwell at 775 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 82°F and low of 57°F; January is the coolest, at 29°F and 13°F. May is the wettest at 3.8 inches of precipitation on average and February the driest at 1.7 inches; the year adds up to 34.1 inches over 75 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 165 nights a year. Snowfall averages 48.5 inches a year, most of it in January. That 34.1 inches is more than at 64 of the 131 Michigan stations used on this site (49%). Harrison, 15 miles north, has its own station (Houghton Lake 6 WSW, MI): 31.9 inches a year, 2.2 less than here, and the same July average high, 82°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" | Snow in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 29 | 13 | 2.2 | 6 | 13.8 |
| Feb | 32 | 13 | 1.7 | 5 | 11.4 |
| Mar | 43 | 20 | 2.1 | 5 | 6.7 |
| Apr | 56 | 31 | 3.5 | 7 | 2.8 |
| May | 68 | 43 | 3.8 | 8 | 0.0 |
| Jun | 78 | 53 | 3.5 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Jul | 82 | 57 | 3.2 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Aug | 80 | 55 | 3.4 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Sep | 73 | 47 | 2.8 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Oct | 60 | 37 | 3.2 | 7 | 0.4 |
| Nov | 46 | 28 | 2.5 | 6 | 2.8 |
| Dec | 34 | 20 | 2.2 | 6 | 10.6 |
| Year | 57 | 35 | 34.1 | 75 | 48.5 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Gladwin, MI (775 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 Farwell
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 35 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Farwell: 33 thunderstorm wind reports and 2 floods. None is recorded as killing or injuring anyone; the NWS estimated $3.9 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 81 mph, on April 12, 2014.
April 17, 2013: flood 8 miles from the centre of Farwell — $3.0 million damage.
May 31, 1998: thunderstorm wind 8 miles from the centre of Farwell — $250,000 damage.
April 12, 2014: thunderstorm wind 6 miles from the centre of Farwell — $100,000 damage.
NWS: “A barn roof was blown off and several trees were blown down near Weidman and Edmore.”
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
Clare County, which includes Farwell, has been named in 9 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1975, 4 of them major disasters (by incident: 2 biological emergencies, 2 floods, 2 snowstorms, 1 drought). The latest major disaster declaration was Covid-19 Pandemic, on March 27, 2020. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Clare County a Relatively Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively High for strong wind; Relatively Moderate for lightning; Relatively Low for tornadoes, hail and inland flooding; Very Low for hurricanes and heat waves. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $9.5 million a year, the 54th highest of 83 Michigan counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $4.2 million (45%), 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 Farwell
- Clare, MI6 mi
- Lake, MI7 mi
- Weidman, MI14 mi
- Harrison, MI15 mi
- Coleman, MI17 mi
- Mt Pleasant, MI17 mi
- Remus, MI19 mi
- Evart, MI20 mi
- Marion, MI22 mi
- Beaverton, MI22 mi
- Shepherd, MI23 mi
- Blanchard, MI24 mi
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