NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Lake, 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 Lake, Michigan since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was an unnamed storm in 1941. Since 1950, 38 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 0 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 3
- Tornadoes
- 38
- EF3 or stronger
- 0
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
no recorded deaths
What the records show for Lake
None of the 3 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Lake; the strongest was an unnamed storm in 1900, a tropical storm with 62 mph winds when its centre passed 41 miles away. The record near Lake begins with an unnamed storm in 1900; the most recent system was an unnamed storm in 1941, a tropical storm 38 miles away. Of the 546 Michigan cities on this site, 75% have more tropical storms and hurricanes within 75 miles than Lake. The highest rating among the 38 tornadoes within 25 miles is F2, reached 5 times; the most recent, on March 27, 1991, came within 13 miles. Of the 38, none had a path within 5 miles of the city centre, and 10 have come since 2000. July has had the most tornadoes, 11. The most recent tornado was on July 5, 2024. Of the 546 Michigan cities, 71% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Lake. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 20 times since 1966, with stones up to 1.75 inches (golf ball size). Of the 546 Michigan cities, 82% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Lake.
Compare Lake's storm record with another city →
Tropical storms and hurricanes near Lake
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1941 | Unnamed 1941 stormSep 25 | 38 mi | Tropical storm (51 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1923 | Unnamed 1923 stormOct 19 | 56 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1900 | Unnamed 1900 stormSep 11 | 41 mi | Tropical storm (62 mph) | Category 4 |
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Lake: 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 Lake
By decade
- 2020s3
- 2010s3
- 2000s4
- 1990s11
- 1980s6
- 1970s5
- 1960s4
- 1950s2
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 27, 1991 | F2 | 13 mi | 4 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 8, 1985 | F2 | 18 mi | 24 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Oct 7, 1965 | F2 | 14 mi | 2 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jul 31, 1963 | F2 | 16 mi | 19.6 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 12, 1956 | F2 | 24 mi | 9.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jul 5, 2024 | EF1 | 7 mi | 12.11 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 26, 2021 | EF1 | 24 mi | 2.86 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Mar 12, 2012 | EF1 | 24 mi | 5.11 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 8, 2008 | EF1 | 17 mi | 5.27 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 21, 1996 | F1 | 14 mi | 4.4 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Mar 27, 1991 | F1 | 25 mi | 2 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 3, 1988 | F1 | 14 mi | 1 mi | 0 / 6 |
The strongest 12 of 38, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Lake
The Storm Prediction Center has 20 hail reports within 10 miles of Lake since 1966, made on 17 separate days. Of these, 9 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 April 7, 2020. The most recent report is from April 7, 2020. June and July have the most reports, 5 each.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Floods, thunderstorm wind and lightning near Lake
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 23 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Lake: 21 thunderstorm wind reports and 2 floods. None is recorded as killing or injuring anyone; the NWS estimated $3.7 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 81 mph, on April 12, 2014.
April 17, 2013: flood 7 miles from the centre of Lake — $3.0 million damage.
NWS: “Heavy rainfall caused significant flooding on rivers and streams across Isabella county.”
May 31, 1998: thunderstorm wind 7 miles from the centre of Lake — $250,000 damage.
NWS: “Michigan State Police EMD's Damage and Injury Assessment Report indicated wind damage to homes, businesses, barns and other outbuildings, and some public buildings. Local roads and streets were temporarily blocked in many areas.”
April 12, 2014: thunderstorm wind 7 miles from the centre of Lake — $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
Clare County, which includes Lake, 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 Covid-19 Pandemic, on March 27, 2020. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Clare County a Relatively Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively High for strong wind; Relatively Moderate for lightning; Relatively Low for tornadoes, hail and inland flooding; Very Low for hurricanes and heat waves. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $9.5 million a year, the 54th highest of 83 Michigan counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $4.2 million (45%), 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 Lake
- Farwell, MI7 mi
- Evart, MI13 mi
- Clare, MI14 mi
- Weidman, MI14 mi
- Harrison, MI15 mi
- Marion, MI17 mi
- Remus, MI18 mi
- Hersey, MI20 mi
- Mecosta, MI21 mi
- Mt Pleasant, MI21 mi
- Blanchard, MI24 mi
- Coleman, MI24 mi
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