NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Lansing, 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
5 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Lansing, Michigan since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Ike in 2008. Since 1950, 93 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 4 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 5
- Tornadoes
- 93
- EF3 or stronger
- 4
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
8 deaths in all
What the records show for Lansing
None of the 5 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Lansing; 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 Lansing begins with an unnamed storm in 1900; the most recent system was Ike in 2008, a tropical storm 58 miles away. Of the 5 systems, one has come since 2000. Lansing has more tropical storms and hurricanes within 75 miles than 48% of the 546 Michigan cities on this site. The highest rating among the 93 tornadoes within 25 miles is F4, reached 3 times; the most recent, on April 2, 1977, came within 15 miles. The deadliest, an EF2 on August 24, 2023, killed 2 people. Of the 93, 12 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 30 have come since 2000. May and August have had the most tornadoes, 17 each. The most recent tornado was on May 15, 2025. Lansing has more tornadoes within 25 miles than 88% of the 546 Michigan cities. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 72 times since 1961, with stones up to 2 inches (hen egg size). Lansing has more hail reports within 10 miles than 79% of the 546 Michigan cities.
Compare Lansing's storm record with another city →
Tropical storms and hurricanes near Lansing
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | IkeSep 14 | 58 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1941 | Unnamed 1941 stormSep 25 | 33 mi | Tropical storm (49 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1932 | Unnamed 1932 stormSep 4 | 14 mi | Tropical storm (47 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1923 | Unnamed 1923 stormOct 19 | 7 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 Lansing: 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 Lansing
By decade
- 2020s5
- 2010s10
- 2000s15(1 EF3+)
- 1990s10
- 1980s16
- 1970s21(1 EF3+)
- 1960s10(2 EF3+)
- 1950s6
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 2, 1977 | F4 | 15 mi | 16.6 mi | 1 / 44 |
| Apr 11, 1965 | F4 | 10 mi | 21 mi | 1 / 8 |
| Apr 21, 1967 | F4 | 18 mi | 12 mi | 0 / 8 |
| Aug 24, 2007 | EF3 | 11 mi | 6.5 mi | 0 / 5 |
| Aug 24, 2023 | EF2 | 14 mi | 12.02 mi | 2 / 4 |
| Oct 18, 2007 | EF2 | 15 mi | 19 mi | 2 / 1 |
| Aug 14, 1988 | F2 | 5 mi | 26.6 mi | 1 / 0 |
| Mar 14, 2019 | EF2 | 19 mi | 18.2 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Aug 21, 2003 | F2 | 21 mi | 4.7 mi | 0 / 2 |
| Mar 27, 1991 | F2 | 18 mi | 5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Nov 27, 1989 | F2 | 19 mi | 6 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Aug 26, 1986 | F2 | 6 mi | 10.6 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 12 of 93, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Lansing
The Storm Prediction Center has 72 hail reports within 10 miles of Lansing since 1961, made on 47 separate days. Of these, 39 were 1 inch across or larger, and one reached 2 inches. The largest, 2 inches (hen egg size), fell on June 25, 1998. The most recent report is from June 20, 2024. June has the most reports, 26.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Lansing
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Lansing Capital City Airport, MI, 4 miles north of Lansing at 841 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 83°F and low of 61°F; January is the coolest, at 31°F and 17°F. June is the wettest at 3.8 inches of precipitation on average and February the driest at 1.7 inches; the year adds up to 33.5 inches over 71 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 143 nights a year. Snowfall averages 50.2 inches a year, most of it in January. That 33.5 inches is more than at 53 of the 131 Michigan stations used on this site (40%). East Lansing, 5 miles east, has its own station (East Lansing 4 S, MI): 34.6 inches a year, 1.1 more than here, and the same July average high, 83°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" | Snow in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 31 | 17 | 2.1 | 5 | 14.3 |
| Feb | 34 | 18 | 1.7 | 5 | 12.9 |
| Mar | 44 | 26 | 2.1 | 6 | 5.9 |
| Apr | 58 | 36 | 3.3 | 8 | 1.7 |
| May | 69 | 48 | 3.7 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Jun | 79 | 57 | 3.8 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Jul | 83 | 61 | 2.9 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Aug | 81 | 60 | 3.5 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Sep | 74 | 52 | 2.8 | 5 | 0.0 |
| Oct | 61 | 41 | 3.2 | 7 | 0.2 |
| Nov | 47 | 32 | 2.5 | 5 | 3.9 |
| Dec | 36 | 23 | 1.9 | 5 | 11.3 |
| Year | 58 | 39 | 33.5 | 71 | 50.2 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Lansing Capital City Airport, MI (841 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 Lansing
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 128 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Lansing: 123 thunderstorm wind reports, 3 floods and 2 flash floods. They killed 2 people and injured 1, and the NWS estimated $43.4 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 86 mph, on August 24, 2023.
August 24, 2023: thunderstorm wind in Lansing — 2 killed, $10.0 million damage.
NWS: “There were numerous reports of downed trees and tree limbs in and especially east to southeast and south of Lansing. One woman was killed when a tree fell onto her home.”
August 27, 2024: thunderstorm wind 4 miles from the centre of Lansing — 1 injured.
NWS: “A peak wind gust to 64 mph was measured at Lansing Capital City airport. An injury was also reported in St.”
August 24, 2023: thunderstorm wind 8 miles from the centre of Lansing — $15.0 million 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 Lansing's 7 ZIP codes have filed 214 claims with the National Flood Insurance Program since 1979, and were paid $1.7 million for buildings and contents, in the dollars of each year. The most came from Flooding in 1981: 37 claims (17% of all) and $40,000. 17% 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, 144 have fewer than Lansing.
| Event | Claims | Paid |
|---|---|---|
| Flooding1981 | 37 | $40,000 |
Ingham County, which includes Lansing, has been named in 12 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1972, 7 of them major disasters (by incident: 3 floods, 3 snowstorms, 2 biological emergencies, 2 severe storms). The latest major disaster declaration was Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding, on February 8, 2024. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Ingham County a Relatively Moderate rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Very High for strong wind; Relatively High for tornadoes; Relatively Moderate for hail, inland flooding and lightning; Relatively Low for heat waves; Very Low for hurricanes. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $72.3 million a year, the 7th highest of 83 Michigan counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $36.2 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.