NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Lake Odessa, 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
4 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Lake Odessa, Michigan since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was an unnamed storm in 1941. Since 1950, 81 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 8 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 4
- Tornadoes
- 81
- EF3 or stronger
- 8
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
4 deaths in all
What the records show for Lake Odessa
None of the 4 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Lake Odessa; the strongest was an unnamed storm in 1900, a tropical storm with 62 mph winds when its centre passed 30 miles away. The record near Lake Odessa begins with an unnamed storm in 1900; the most recent system was an unnamed storm in 1941, a tropical storm 9 miles away. None of the 4 systems has come since 2000. Of the 546 Michigan cities on this site, 52% have more tropical storms and hurricanes within 75 miles than Lake Odessa. The highest rating among the 81 tornadoes within 25 miles is F4, reached 3 times; the most recent, on April 2, 1977, came within 25 miles. The deadliest, an EF1 on June 8, 2008, killed 1 person. Of the 81, 5 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 29 have come since 2000. April and June have had the most tornadoes, 15 each. The most recent tornado was on May 15, 2025. Lake Odessa has more tornadoes within 25 miles than 73% of the 546 Michigan cities. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 18 times since 1970, with stones up to 2.5 inches (tennis ball size). Of the 546 Michigan cities, 86% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Lake Odessa.
Compare Lake Odessa's storm record with another city →
Tropical storms and hurricanes near Lake Odessa
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1941 | Unnamed 1941 stormSep 25 | 9 mi | Tropical storm (48 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1932 | Unnamed 1932 stormSep 4 | 36 mi | Tropical storm (47 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1923 | Unnamed 1923 stormOct 19 | 19 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1900 | Unnamed 1900 stormSep 11 | 30 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 Odessa: 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 Odessa
By decade
- 2020s10
- 2010s8
- 2000s11(1 EF3+)
- 1990s8
- 1980s13
- 1970s9(1 EF3+)
- 1960s16(5 EF3+)
- 1950s6(1 EF3+)
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 2, 1977 | F4 | 25 mi | 16.6 mi | 1 / 44 |
| Apr 11, 1965 | F4 | 25 mi | 21 mi | 1 / 8 |
| Apr 21, 1967 | F4 | 20 mi | 12 mi | 0 / 8 |
| Aug 24, 2007 | EF3 | 21 mi | 6.5 mi | 0 / 5 |
| Apr 23, 1968 | F3 | 22 mi | 60.9 mi | 0 / 11 |
| Apr 21, 1967 | F3 | 22 mi | 13.6 mi | 0 / 32 |
| Apr 11, 1965 | F3 | 3 mi | 14.1 mi | 0 / 5 |
| Apr 3, 1956 | F3 | 14 mi | 60.6 mi | 0 / 12 |
| Jul 4, 1994 | F2 | 22 mi | 0.3 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Nov 27, 1989 | F2 | 11 mi | 6 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Aug 26, 1986 | F2 | 20 mi | 0.6 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jul 15, 1986 | F2 | 24 mi | 42.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 12 of 81, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Lake Odessa
The Storm Prediction Center has 18 hail reports within 10 miles of Lake Odessa since 1970, made on 13 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 April 4, 2023. The most recent report is from June 20, 2024. May has the most reports, 6.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Lake Odessa
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Ionia 2SSW, MI, 12 miles north of Lake Odessa at 805 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 81°F and low of 60°F; January is the coolest, at 29°F and 16°F. May is the wettest at 4.0 inches of precipitation on average and February the driest at 1.7 inches; the year adds up to 36.0 inches over 74 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 148 nights a year. Snowfall averages 54.2 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%). Freeport, 9 miles west, has its own station (Hastings, MI): 39.5 inches a year, 3.5 more than here, and a July average high of 82°F against 81°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" | Snow in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 29 | 16 | 2.2 | 6 | 15.5 |
| Feb | 32 | 16 | 1.7 | 5 | 11.9 |
| Mar | 42 | 24 | 2.2 | 5 | 7.0 |
| Apr | 56 | 35 | 3.3 | 7 | 1.6 |
| May | 68 | 47 | 4.0 | 8 | 0.0 |
| Jun | 77 | 57 | 3.9 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Jul | 81 | 60 | 3.4 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Aug | 79 | 59 | 3.7 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Sep | 72 | 51 | 3.0 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Oct | 59 | 40 | 3.6 | 7 | 0.5 |
| Nov | 46 | 30 | 2.8 | 6 | 3.6 |
| Dec | 34 | 22 | 2.2 | 6 | 14.1 |
| Year | 56 | 38 | 36.0 | 74 | 54.2 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Ionia 2SSW, MI (805 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 Lake Odessa
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 47 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Lake Odessa: 44 thunderstorm wind reports, 2 flash floods and 1 flood. None is recorded as killing or injuring anyone; the NWS estimated $15.1 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 90 mph, on May 18, 2026.
August 24, 2023: thunderstorm wind 7 miles from the centre of Lake Odessa — $10.0 million damage.
April 17, 2013: flood 4 miles from the centre of Lake Odessa — $3.0 million damage.
NWS: “Heavy rainfall caused significant flooding on rivers and streams across Eaton county.”
July 28, 2011: flash flood 4 miles from the centre of Lake Odessa — $1.3 million damage.
NWS: “Six to eight inches of rain fell across much of Eaton county from the late evening hours of July 27 through the early morning hours of July 29. This caused flash flooding and numerous road closures and washouts.”
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
Ionia County, which includes Lake Odessa, has been named in 16 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1972, 10 of them major disasters (by incident: 5 snowstorms, 4 floods, 4 severe storms, 2 biological emergencies). The latest major disaster declaration was Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding, on February 8, 2024. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Ionia County a Relatively Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively High for strong wind; Relatively Moderate for tornadoes; Relatively Low for hail, inland flooding and lightning; Very Low for hurricanes and heat waves. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $19.5 million a year, the 34th highest of 83 Michigan counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $10.8 million (55%), 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 Odessa
- Clarksville, MI7 mi
- Freeport, MI9 mi
- Saranac, MI10 mi
- Portland, MI12 mi
- Vermontville, MI12 mi
- Hastings, MI13 mi
- Nashville, MI14 mi
- Ionia, MI14 mi
- Alto, MI15 mi
- Lowell, MI15 mi
- Lyons, MI15 mi
- Middleville, MI18 mi
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