NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Hesperia, 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
2 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Hesperia, Michigan since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was an unnamed storm in 1941. Since 1950, 26 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 0 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 2
- Tornadoes
- 26
- EF3 or stronger
- 0
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
2 deaths in all
What the records show for Hesperia
None of the 2 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Hesperia; the strongest was an unnamed storm in 1900, a tropical storm with 61 mph winds when its centre passed 36 miles away. The record near Hesperia begins with an unnamed storm in 1900; the most recent system was an unnamed storm in 1941, a tropical storm 64 miles away. Of the 546 Michigan cities on this site, 82% have more tropical storms and hurricanes within 75 miles than Hesperia. The highest rating among the 26 tornadoes within 25 miles is F2, reached 5 times; the most recent, on May 28, 1991, came within 16 miles. The deadliest, an F2 on June 17, 1975, killed 1 person. Of the 26, one had a path within 5 miles of the city centre, and 6 have come since 2000. April has had the most tornadoes, 7. The most recent tornado was on August 28, 2018. Of the 546 Michigan cities, 82% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Hesperia. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 14 times since 1973, with stones up to 1.75 inches (golf ball size). Of the 546 Michigan cities, 92% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Hesperia.
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Tropical storms and hurricanes near Hesperia
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1941 | Unnamed 1941 stormSep 25 | 64 mi | Tropical storm (48 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1900 | Unnamed 1900 stormSep 11 | 36 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 Hesperia: 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 Hesperia
By decade
- 2010s3
- 2000s3
- 1990s5
- 1980s2
- 1970s7
- 1960s5
- 1950s1
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 17, 1975 | F2 | 20 mi | 1.5 mi | 1 / 0 |
| Sep 26, 1951 | F2 | 17 mi | 2.3 mi | 1 / 3 |
| May 28, 1991 | F2 | 16 mi | 3 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Aug 15, 1978 | F2 | 22 mi | 0.8 mi | 0 / 1 |
| Apr 12, 1972 | F2 | 18 mi | 0.1 mi | 0 / 8 |
| Aug 28, 2018 | EF1 | 24 mi | 1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jul 25, 2005 | F1 | 24 mi | 4 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Sep 14, 1990 | F1 | 1 mi | 5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 2, 1990 | F1 | 22 mi | 1.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 24, 1989 | F1 | 12 mi | 0.6 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 30, 1980 | F1 | 11 mi | 1 mi | 0 / 3 |
| Apr 12, 1979 | F1 | 17 mi | 18.2 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 12 of 26, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Hesperia
The Storm Prediction Center has 14 hail reports within 10 miles of Hesperia since 1973, made on 12 separate days. Of these, 8 were 1 inch across or larger, and none reached 2 inches. The largest size, 1.75 inches (golf ball size), was reported on 2 days, most recently July 13, 2000. The most recent report is from May 16, 2025. May has the most reports, 5.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Hesperia
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Hesperia 4 WNW, MI, 1 mile west of Hesperia at 780 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 82°F and low of 56°F; January is the coolest, at 31°F and 14°F. October is the wettest at 4.3 inches of precipitation on average and February the driest at 1.6 inches; the year adds up to 36.0 inches over 77 days with at least a tenth of an inch. Highs reach 90°F on about 7 days a year, almost all from June to August. Lows fall below freezing on about 166 nights a year. Snowfall averages 74.6 inches a year, most of it in January. That 36.0 inches is more than at 92 of the 131 Michigan stations used on this site (70%). Rothbury, 11 miles southwest, has its own station (Montague 4 NW, MI): 35.4 inches a year, 0.6 less than here, and a July average high of 79°F against 82°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" | Snow in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 31 | 14 | 2.3 | 7 | 25.3 |
| Feb | 33 | 14 | 1.6 | 6 | 14.0 |
| Mar | 44 | 21 | 2.0 | 5 | 7.0 |
| Apr | 56 | 31 | 3.9 | 7 | 1.3 |
| May | 68 | 42 | 3.6 | 8 | 0.0 |
| Jun | 78 | 52 | 3.5 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Jul | 82 | 56 | 3.0 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Aug | 80 | 55 | 3.1 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Sep | 73 | 48 | 3.2 | 5 | 0.0 |
| Oct | 60 | 37 | 4.3 | 7 | 0.2 |
| Nov | 46 | 28 | 2.9 | 7 | 4.3 |
| Dec | 36 | 21 | 2.6 | 8 | 22.5 |
| Year | 57 | 35 | 36.0 | 77 | 74.6 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Hesperia 4 WNW, MI (780 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 Hesperia
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 20 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Hesperia: 17 thunderstorm wind reports, 2 flash floods and 1 flood. None is recorded as killing or injuring anyone; the NWS estimated $6.4 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 64 mph, on May 28, 2012.
April 17, 2013: flood 8 miles from the centre of Hesperia — $5.0 million damage.
NWS: “Heavy rain caused significant flooding on rivers and streams across Newaygo county.”
April 4, 2011: flash flood 2 miles from the centre of Hesperia — $1.0 million damage.
NWS: “A local State of Emergency was declared for Mecosta County as a result of extensive heavy rainfall and melting snow during the early morning hours of April 4, 2011, causing widespread flood damage to public and individual property. Numerous roads were washed out and/or covered with water.”
August 13, 2011: flash flood 6 miles from the centre of Hesperia — $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
Flood insurance policyholders in Hesperia's ZIP code 49421 have filed 10 claims with the National Flood Insurance Program since 1979, and were paid $135,000 for buildings and contents, in the dollars of each year. 50% of the claims carry the name of a storm or flood event; the rest have no event name. Of the 160 Michigan cities on this site with 10 or more claims, 0 have fewer than Hesperia.
Oceana County, which includes Hesperia, has been named in 13 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1975, 7 of them major disasters (by incident: 4 floods, 3 snowstorms, 2 biological emergencies, 2 severe storms). The latest major disaster declaration was Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding, on June 30, 2026. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Oceana County a Very Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively High for strong wind; Relatively Low for tornadoes, inland flooding and lightning; Very Low for hurricanes, hail, coastal flooding and heat waves. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $10.0 million a year, the 52nd highest of 83 Michigan counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $5.1 million (51%), 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 Hesperia
- Holton, MI11 mi
- Rothbury, MI11 mi
- Fremont, MI11 mi
- Hart, MI13 mi
- Shelby, MI14 mi
- White Cloud, MI16 mi
- New Era, MI16 mi
- Twin Lake, MI17 mi
- Montague, MI18 mi
- Whitehall, MI19 mi
- Pentwater, MI21 mi
- Newaygo, MI21 mi
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