NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Galesburg, 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 Galesburg, 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, 6 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 5
- Tornadoes
- 78
- EF3 or stronger
- 6
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
7 deaths in all
What the records show for Galesburg
None of the 5 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Galesburg; the strongest was an unnamed storm in 1900, a tropical storm with 61 mph winds when its centre passed 60 miles away. The record near Galesburg begins with an unnamed storm in 1900; the most recent system was Ike in 2008, a tropical storm 59 miles away. Of the 5 systems, one has come since 2000. Galesburg 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 F4, reached 2 times; the most recent, on April 2, 1977, came within 2 miles. The deadliest, an F3 on May 13, 1980, killed 5 people. Of the 78, 7 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 29 have come since 2000. May has had the most tornadoes, 27. The most recent tornado was on May 15, 2025. Galesburg has more tornadoes within 25 miles than 68% of the 546 Michigan cities. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 61 times since 1968, with stones up to 4.5 inches (grapefruit size). Galesburg has more hail reports within 10 miles than 74% of the 546 Michigan cities.
Compare Galesburg's storm record with another city →
Tropical storms and hurricanes near Galesburg
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | IkeSep 14 | 59 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1941 | Unnamed 1941 stormSep 25 | 23 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1932 | Unnamed 1932 stormSep 3 | 19 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1923 | Unnamed 1923 stormOct 19 | 11 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1900 | Unnamed 1900 stormSep 11 | 60 mi | Tropical storm (61 mph) | Category 4 |
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Galesburg: 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 Galesburg
By decade
- 2020s10
- 2010s5
- 2000s14(1 EF3+)
- 1990s6
- 1980s14(2 EF3+)
- 1970s15(2 EF3+)
- 1960s8(1 EF3+)
- 1950s6
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 2, 1977 | F4 | 22 mi | 16.6 mi | 1 / 44 |
| Apr 2, 1977 | F4 | 2 mi | 12.4 mi | 0 / 10 |
| May 13, 1980 | F3 | 4 mi | 10.6 mi | 5 / 79 |
| Oct 24, 2001 | F3 | 19 mi | 47 mi | 1 / 2 |
| May 13, 1980 | F3 | 21 mi | 21 mi | 0 / 15 |
| Apr 11, 1965 | F3 | 6 mi | 14.2 mi | 0 / 17 |
| Aug 6, 2024 | EF2 | 25 mi | 8.46 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 7, 2024 | EF2 | 4 mi | 10.86 mi | 0 / 12 |
| May 7, 2024 | EF2 | 21 mi | 19.53 mi | 0 / 1 |
| Jun 19, 2009 | EF2 | 8 mi | 0.86 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 21, 2001 | F2 | 6 mi | 1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Sep 29, 1986 | F2 | 20 mi | 3.8 mi | 0 / 1 |
The strongest 12 of 78, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Galesburg
The Storm Prediction Center has 61 hail reports within 10 miles of Galesburg since 1968, made on 49 separate days. Of these, 27 were 1 inch across or larger, and 4 reached 2 inches. The largest, 4.5 inches (grapefruit size), fell on March 27, 1991. The most recent report is from August 30, 2024. May has the most reports, 14.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Galesburg
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Kalamazoo Battle Ck International Airport, MI, 8 miles southwest of Galesburg at 868 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 83°F and low of 62°F; January is the coolest, at 32°F and 18°F. Highs reach 90°F on about 13 days a year, almost all from June to September. Lows fall below freezing on about 129 nights a year. That 33.3 inches is more than at 48 of the 131 Michigan stations used on this site (37%). Augusta, 5 miles northeast, has its own station (Battle Creek 5NW, MI): 34.6 inches a year, 1.3 more than here, and the same July average high, 83°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 32 | 18 | 1.7 | 4 |
| Feb | 35 | 20 | 1.3 | 4 |
| Mar | 46 | 27 | 2.0 | 5 |
| Apr | 59 | 38 | 3.1 | 7 |
| May | 70 | 49 | 3.7 | 9 |
| Jun | 80 | 58 | 3.2 | 6 |
| Jul | 83 | 62 | 3.4 | 6 |
| Aug | 81 | 60 | 3.7 | 6 |
| Sep | 74 | 53 | 3.3 | 6 |
| Oct | 61 | 42 | 3.7 | 7 |
| Nov | 48 | 33 | 2.5 | 6 |
| Dec | 37 | 24 | 1.7 | 4 |
| Year | 59 | 40 | 33.3 | 69 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Kalamazoo Battle Ck International Airport, MI (868 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 Galesburg
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 118 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Galesburg: 112 thunderstorm wind reports, 5 flash floods and 1 flood. They killed 0 people and injured 3, and the NWS estimated $31.9 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 100 mph, on May 29, 2011. May has had the most flash floods, 3 of 5. Of the 376 Michigan cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 280 have had fewer than Galesburg.
May 29, 2011: thunderstorm wind 4 miles from the centre of Galesburg — 2 injured, $25.0 million damage.
May 18, 1997: thunderstorm wind 8 miles from the centre of Galesburg — 1 injured, $500,000 damage.
July 1, 2014: thunderstorm wind 9 miles from the centre of Galesburg — $2.0 million 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
Kalamazoo County, which includes Galesburg, has been named in 12 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1965, 6 of them major disasters (by incident: 4 snowstorms, 2 biological emergencies, 2 floods, 2 tornadoes). The latest major disaster declaration was Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding, on June 30, 2026. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Kalamazoo County a Relatively Moderate rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively High for tornadoes, hail and strong wind; Relatively Moderate for inland flooding and lightning; Relatively Low for heat waves; Very Low for hurricanes. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $55.1 million a year, the 11th highest of 83 Michigan counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $27.4 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.