NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Kingston, 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
7 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Kingston, Michigan since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Ike in 2008. Since 1950, 53 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 3 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 7
- Tornadoes
- 53
- EF3 or stronger
- 3
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
116 deaths in all
What the records show for Kingston
None of the 7 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Kingston; the strongest was an unnamed storm in 1900, a tropical storm with 64 mph winds when its centre passed 12 miles away. The record near Kingston begins with an unnamed storm in 1892; the most recent system was Ike in 2008, a tropical storm 55 miles away. Of the 7 systems, one has come since 2000. Kingston is tied for the most tropical storms and hurricanes within 75 miles among the 546 Michigan cities on this site. The strongest of the 53 tornadoes within 25 miles was an F5 on June 8, 1953; its path came within 21 miles, and it killed 116 people. Of the 53, 4 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 18 have come since 2000. June has had the most tornadoes, 16. The most recent tornado was on May 17, 2024. Of the 546 Michigan cities, 59% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Kingston. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 19 times since 1984, with stones up to 2.5 inches (tennis ball size). Of the 546 Michigan cities, 84% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Kingston.
Compare Kingston's storm record with another city →
Tropical storms and hurricanes near Kingston
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | IkeSep 14 | 55 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1955 | ConnieAug 14 | 39 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1941 | Unnamed 1941 stormSep 25 | 50 mi | Tropical storm (53 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1932 | Unnamed 1932 stormSep 4 | 6 mi | Tropical storm (49 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1923 | Unnamed 1923 stormOct 19 | 38 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1900 | Unnamed 1900 stormSep 12 | 12 mi | Tropical storm (64 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1892 | Unnamed 1892 stormSep 14 | 36 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Tropical storm |
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Kingston: 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 Kingston
By decade
- 2020s3
- 2010s8
- 2000s7
- 1990s7
- 1980s9(1 EF3+)
- 1970s11
- 1960s3
- 1950s5(2 EF3+)
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 8, 1953 | F5 | 21 mi | 18.9 mi | 116 / 844 |
| Jun 8, 1953 | F4 | 18 mi | 33.8 mi | 0 / 23 |
| Sep 2, 1984 | F3 | 25 mi | 15.6 mi | 0 / 1 |
| Jun 22, 2015 | EF2 | 21 mi | 11.27 mi | 0 / 2 |
| Mar 15, 2012 | EF2 | 23 mi | 4.59 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Aug 30, 1984 | F2 | 4 mi | 5.6 mi | 0 / 4 |
| Aug 7, 1984 | F2 | 21 mi | 0.4 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 15, 1982 | F2 | 3 mi | 6 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jul 4, 1974 | F2 | 19 mi | 5.7 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 24, 1971 | F2 | 10 mi | 10.4 mi | 0 / 1 |
| Apr 11, 1965 | F2 | 23 mi | 9 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Nov 6, 2015 | EF1 | 21 mi | 3.64 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 12 of 53, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Kingston
The Storm Prediction Center has 19 hail reports within 10 miles of Kingston since 1984, made on 17 separate days. Of these, 11 were 1 inch across or larger, and 2 reached 2 inches. The largest, 2.5 inches (tennis ball size), fell on September 2, 1984. The most recent report is from June 14, 2009. July has the most reports, 6.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Kingston
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Caro Wwtp, MI, 12 miles northwest of Kingston at 690 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 82°F and low of 60°F; January is the coolest, at 29°F and 15°F. May is the wettest at 3.7 inches of precipitation on average and February the driest at 1.6 inches; the year adds up to 34.3 inches over 78 days with at least a tenth of an inch. Highs reach 90°F on about 10 days a year, almost all from June to August. Lows fall below freezing on about 152 nights a year. Snowfall averages 41.6 inches a year, most of it in January. That 34.3 inches is more than at 67 of the 131 Michigan stations used on this site (51%). Marlette, 9 miles southeast, has its own station (Yale 1 NNW, MI): 31.4 inches a year, 2.9 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 | 15 | 2.2 | 6 | 13.1 |
| Feb | 32 | 15 | 1.6 | 5 | 8.0 |
| Mar | 42 | 23 | 1.9 | 6 | 5.5 |
| Apr | 55 | 34 | 3.6 | 7 | 1.0 |
| May | 68 | 45 | 3.7 | 8 | 0.0 |
| Jun | 78 | 55 | 3.6 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Jul | 82 | 60 | 3.5 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Aug | 80 | 57 | 3.3 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Sep | 73 | 50 | 3.2 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Oct | 60 | 40 | 3.1 | 8 | 0.0 |
| Nov | 46 | 31 | 2.5 | 6 | 2.3 |
| Dec | 35 | 22 | 2.1 | 6 | 11.7 |
| Year | 57 | 37 | 34.3 | 78 | 41.6 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Caro Wwtp, MI (690 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 Kingston
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 58 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Kingston: 56 thunderstorm wind reports, 1 flood and 1 lightning strike. None is recorded as killing or injuring anyone; the NWS estimated $182,000 in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 81 mph, on September 11, 1996.
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
Tuscola County, which includes Kingston, has been named in 12 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1972, 8 of them major disasters (by incident: 5 floods, 2 biological emergencies, 2 severe storms, 2 snowstorms). The latest major disaster declaration was Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding, on June 30, 2026. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Tuscola County a Relatively Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively High for strong wind; Relatively Moderate for tornadoes and inland flooding; Relatively Low for hail, lightning and heat waves; Very Low for hurricanes and coastal flooding. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $27.6 million a year, the 25th highest of 83 Michigan counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $16.5 million (60%), 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.