NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Hillsdale, 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
6 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Hillsdale, Michigan since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Ike in 2008. Since 1950, 74 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 8 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 6
- Tornadoes
- 74
- EF3 or stronger
- 8
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
53 deaths in all
What the records show for Hillsdale
None of the 6 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Hillsdale; the strongest was Ike in 2008, a tropical storm with 58 mph winds when its centre passed 14 miles away. The record near Hillsdale begins with an unnamed storm in 1892; the most recent system was Ike in 2008. Of the 6 systems, one has come since 2000. Hillsdale has more tropical storms and hurricanes within 75 miles than 76% of the 546 Michigan cities on this site. The highest rating among the 74 tornadoes within 25 miles is F4, reached 2 times; the most recent, on April 11, 1965, came within 4 miles. Of the 74, 7 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 15 have come since 2000. April and May have had the most tornadoes, 18 each. The most recent tornado was on April 2, 2025. Hillsdale has more tornadoes within 25 miles than 61% of the 546 Michigan cities. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 32 times since 1973, with stones up to 2.75 inches (baseball size). Of the 546 Michigan cities, 55% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Hillsdale.
Compare Hillsdale's storm record with another city →
Tropical storms and hurricanes near Hillsdale
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | IkeSep 14 | 14 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1941 | Unnamed 1941 stormSep 25 | 71 mi | Tropical storm (47 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1932 | Unnamed 1932 stormSep 4 | 28 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1923 | Unnamed 1923 stormOct 19 | 38 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1902 | Unnamed 1902 stormJun 29 | 71 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1892 | Unnamed 1892 stormSep 13 | 74 mi | Tropical storm (56 mph) | Tropical storm |
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Hillsdale: 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 Hillsdale
By decade
- 2020s6
- 2010s5
- 2000s4
- 1990s5(2 EF3+)
- 1980s16(1 EF3+)
- 1970s14(1 EF3+)
- 1960s17(4 EF3+)
- 1950s7
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 11, 1965 | F4 | 4 mi | 90.3 mi | 23 / 294 |
| Apr 11, 1965 | F4 | 2 mi | 80.5 mi | 21 / 293 |
| Apr 3, 1974 | F3 | 18 mi | 36.2 mi | 5 / 53 |
| Mar 27, 1991 | F3 | 15 mi | 21 mi | 1 / 24 |
| Mar 27, 1991 | F3 | 10 mi | 5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 15, 1986 | F3 | 18 mi | 1.2 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Aug 22, 1964 | F3 | 24 mi | 0.1 mi | 0 / 2 |
| May 6, 1961 | F3 | 24 mi | 33.4 mi | 0 / 5 |
| Apr 3, 1974 | F2 | 2 mi | 19.3 mi | 2 / 31 |
| Sep 25, 1984 | F2 | 11 mi | 2.1 mi | 0 / 2 |
| Jun 30, 1983 | F2 | 19 mi | 1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 1, 1983 | F2 | 24 mi | 1.9 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 12 of 74, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Hillsdale
The Storm Prediction Center has 32 hail reports within 10 miles of Hillsdale since 1973, made on 24 separate days. Of these, 20 were 1 inch across or larger, and 3 reached 2 inches. The largest, 2.75 inches (baseball size), fell on June 19, 2021. The most recent report is from May 7, 2024. May has the most reports, 10.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Hillsdale
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Hillsdale, MI, 3 miles north of Hillsdale at 1,080 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 83°F and low of 60°F; January is the coolest, at 31°F and 15°F. May is the wettest at 4.6 inches of precipitation on average and February the driest at 2.3 inches; the year adds up to 39.6 inches over 80 days with at least a tenth of an inch. Highs reach 90°F on about 9 days a year, almost all from June to August. Lows fall below freezing on about 148 nights a year. Snowfall averages 44.1 inches a year, most of it in January. That 39.6 inches is more than at 123 of the 131 Michigan stations used on this site (94%). Camden, 12 miles south, has its own station (Montpelier, OH): 37.9 inches a year, 1.7 less than here, and the same July average high, 83°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" | Snow in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 31 | 15 | 2.8 | 6 | 13.3 |
| Feb | 34 | 16 | 2.3 | 6 | 11.5 |
| Mar | 44 | 25 | 2.4 | 6 | 5.2 |
| Apr | 58 | 35 | 3.7 | 8 | 1.5 |
| May | 69 | 47 | 4.6 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Jun | 79 | 57 | 3.9 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Jul | 83 | 60 | 3.6 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Aug | 80 | 58 | 3.9 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Sep | 74 | 50 | 3.6 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Oct | 61 | 40 | 3.4 | 7 | 0.1 |
| Nov | 47 | 30 | 3.0 | 7 | 3.4 |
| Dec | 36 | 22 | 2.4 | 6 | 9.1 |
| Year | 58 | 38 | 39.6 | 80 | 44.1 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Hillsdale, MI (1,080 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 Hillsdale
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 121 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Hillsdale: 121 thunderstorm wind reports. They killed 0 people and injured 1, and the NWS estimated $511,000 in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 75 mph, on June 20, 2021.
May 18, 1997: thunderstorm wind 1 mile from the centre of Hillsdale — 1 injured, $50,000 damage.
NWS: “Hillsdale County officials reported trees and power lines were downed by straight-line thunderstorm winds across Allen, Adams, and Wheatland townships. Four barns were destroyed at 3120 East Bacon Road in Hillsdale and damage was done to the home at the same address.”
August 25, 1998: thunderstorm wind 1 mile from the centre of Hillsdale — $100,000 damage.
NWS: “SEVERAL TREES DOWN ACROSS THE SOUTHERN THIRD OF THE COUNTY INCLUDING ONE WHOLE LINE OF POWER POLES WHICH WERE FLATTENED TO THE GROUND.”
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
Hillsdale County, which includes Hillsdale, has been named in 9 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1965, 3 of them major disasters (by incident: 3 snowstorms, 2 biological emergencies, 2 tornadoes, 1 hurricane). The latest major disaster declaration was Covid-19 Pandemic, on March 27, 2020. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Hillsdale County a Relatively Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively Moderate for tornadoes, hail, strong wind and lightning; Relatively Low for inland flooding and heat waves; Very Low for hurricanes. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $13.5 million a year, the 45th highest of 83 Michigan counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $6.7 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.
Cities near Hillsdale
- Osseo, MI5 mi
- Reading, MI8 mi
- Jonesville, MI8 mi
- Pittsford, MI10 mi
- Camden, MI12 mi
- Litchfield, MI12 mi
- Quincy, MI13 mi
- Montgomery, MI14 mi
- Jerome, MI14 mi
- Hanover, MI14 mi
- Hudson, MI15 mi
- Addison, MI16 mi
All Michigan cities →All hurricanes since 1851 →Compare Hillsdale with another place →