NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Grayling, 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 Grayling, Michigan since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Connie in 1955. Since 1950, 31 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 1 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 3
- Tornadoes
- 31
- EF3 or stronger
- 1
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
2 deaths in all
What the records show for Grayling
None of the 3 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Grayling; the strongest was an unnamed storm in 1941, a tropical storm with 54 mph winds when its centre passed 62 miles away. The record near Grayling begins with an unnamed storm in 1923; the most recent system was Connie in 1955, a tropical storm 66 miles away. Of the 546 Michigan cities on this site, 75% have more tropical storms and hurricanes within 75 miles than Grayling. The strongest of the 31 tornadoes within 25 miles was an EF3 on May 20, 2022; its path came within 23 miles, and it killed 2 people. Of the 31, one had a path within 5 miles of the city centre, and 10 have come since 2000. June has had the most tornadoes, 8. The most recent tornado was on June 5, 2024. Of the 546 Michigan cities, 78% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Grayling. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 32 times since 1980, with stones up to 1.75 inches (golf ball size). Of the 546 Michigan cities, 55% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Grayling.
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Tropical storms and hurricanes near Grayling
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1955 | ConnieAug 14 | 66 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1941 | Unnamed 1941 stormSep 25 | 62 mi | Tropical storm (54 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1923 | Unnamed 1923 stormOct 19 | 71 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Grayling: 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 Grayling
By decade
- 2020s3(1 EF3+)
- 2010s6
- 2000s1
- 1990s10
- 1980s3
- 1970s4
- 1960s2
- 1950s2
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 20, 2022 | EF3 | 23 mi | 17.54 mi | 2 / 44 |
| Oct 18, 2007 | EF2 | 16 mi | 11.63 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 19, 1975 | F2 | 9 mi | 1.5 mi | 0 / 14 |
| Jun 10, 1974 | F2 | 16 mi | 0.3 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 25, 1973 | F2 | 7 mi | 0.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Sep 1, 2014 | EF1 | 17 mi | 7.21 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Sep 1, 2014 | EF1 | 9 mi | 9.14 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Sep 1, 2014 | EF1 | 21 mi | 4.02 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 18, 2012 | EF1 | 8 mi | 1.29 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jul 3, 1999 | F1 | 22 mi | 12 mi | 0 / 2 |
| May 31, 1998 | F1 | 24 mi | 7 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jul 2, 1997 | F1 | 13 mi | 13 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 12 of 31, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Grayling
The Storm Prediction Center has 32 hail reports within 10 miles of Grayling since 1980, made on 25 separate days. Of these, 13 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 July 13, 1995. The most recent report is from June 29, 2023. July has the most reports, 10.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Grayling
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Grayling, MI, 4 miles southwest of Grayling at 1,137 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 80°F and low of 55°F; January is the coolest, at 26°F and 10°F. October is the wettest at 4.0 inches of precipitation on average and February the driest at 1.4 inches; the year adds up to 33.3 inches over 78 days with at least a tenth of an inch. Highs reach 90°F on about 6 days a year, almost all from June to August. Lows fall below freezing on about 185 nights a year. Snowfall averages 88.3 inches a year, most of it in January. That 33.3 inches is more than at 48 of the 131 Michigan stations used on this site (37%). Roscommon, 14 miles south, has its own station (Houghton Lk Roscommon Airport, MI): 29.7 inches a year, 3.6 less than here, and a July average high of 81°F against 80°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" | Snow in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 26 | 10 | 1.8 | 6 | 25.8 |
| Feb | 29 | 9 | 1.4 | 4 | 18.9 |
| Mar | 39 | 16 | 1.7 | 5 | 10.8 |
| Apr | 53 | 29 | 3.4 | 7 | 4.2 |
| May | 67 | 41 | 3.2 | 8 | 0.1 |
| Jun | 77 | 51 | 3.6 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Jul | 80 | 55 | 3.1 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Aug | 79 | 53 | 3.3 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Sep | 71 | 45 | 3.2 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Oct | 57 | 35 | 4.0 | 9 | 1.4 |
| Nov | 43 | 26 | 2.6 | 7 | 6.9 |
| Dec | 32 | 18 | 2.0 | 6 | 20.2 |
| Year | 54 | 32 | 33.3 | 78 | 88.3 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Grayling, MI (1,137 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 Grayling
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 30 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Grayling: 29 thunderstorm wind reports and 1 flash flood. None is recorded as killing or injuring anyone; the NWS estimated $233,000 in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 81 mph, on September 4, 2014.
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
Crawford County, which includes Grayling, 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 Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding, on June 30, 2026. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Crawford County a Very Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively Moderate for lightning; Relatively Low for tornadoes, inland flooding and strong wind; Very Low for hurricanes, hail and heat waves. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $5.3 million a year, the 71st highest of 83 Michigan counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $3.3 million (61%), 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 Grayling
- Roscommon, MI14 mi
- Lewiston, MI19 mi
- Gaylord, MI21 mi
- Johannesburg, MI22 mi
- Kalkaska, MI23 mi
- Saint Helen, MI24 mi
- Mancelona, MI25 mi
- Mio, MI26 mi
- Rose City, MI26 mi
- Houghton Lake, MI27 mi
- Elmira, MI27 mi
- Prudenville, MI29 mi
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