NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Merrill, 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 Merrill, Michigan since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was an unnamed storm in 1941. Since 1950, 58 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 1 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 4
- Tornadoes
- 58
- EF3 or stronger
- 1
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
2 deaths in all
What the records show for Merrill
None of the 4 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Merrill; the strongest was an unnamed storm in 1900, a tropical storm with 63 mph winds when its centre passed 2 miles away. The record near Merrill begins with an unnamed storm in 1900; the most recent system was an unnamed storm in 1941, a tropical storm 8 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 Merrill. The strongest of the 58 tornadoes within 25 miles was an F3 on June 12, 1984; its path came within 24 miles. The deadliest, an F2 on June 11, 1968, killed 1 person. Of the 58, one had a path within 5 miles of the city centre, and 21 have come since 2000. June has had the most tornadoes, 18. The most recent tornado was on May 15, 2025. Of the 546 Michigan cities, 56% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Merrill. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 27 times since 1994, with stones up to 1.75 inches (golf ball size). Of the 546 Michigan cities, 66% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Merrill.
Compare Merrill's storm record with another city →
Tropical storms and hurricanes near Merrill
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1941 | Unnamed 1941 stormSep 25 | 8 mi | Tropical storm (51 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1932 | Unnamed 1932 stormSep 4 | 43 mi | Tropical storm (48 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1923 | Unnamed 1923 stormOct 19 | 11 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1900 | Unnamed 1900 stormSep 11 | 2 mi | Tropical storm (63 mph) | Category 4 |
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Merrill: 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 Merrill
By decade
- 2020s4
- 2010s6
- 2000s11
- 1990s8
- 1980s7(1 EF3+)
- 1970s8
- 1960s6
- 1950s8
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 12, 1984 | F3 | 24 mi | 48 mi | 0 / 2 |
| Jun 11, 1968 | F2 | 19 mi | 0.1 mi | 1 / 0 |
| May 12, 1956 | F2 | 12 mi | 3.8 mi | 1 / 4 |
| May 31, 1999 | F2 | 17 mi | 1.8 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 28, 1986 | F2 | 14 mi | 26.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 15, 1982 | F2 | 7 mi | 19 mi | 0 / 3 |
| Jun 15, 1982 | F2 | 14 mi | 5.9 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 14, 1974 | F2 | 13 mi | 2.5 mi | 0 / 1 |
| Apr 11, 1965 | F2 | 13 mi | 1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 11, 1965 | F2 | 14 mi | 0.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 11, 1965 | F2 | 14 mi | 0.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 11, 1965 | F2 | 17 mi | 15.1 mi | 0 / 1 |
The strongest 12 of 58, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Merrill
The Storm Prediction Center has 27 hail reports within 10 miles of Merrill since 1994, made on 15 separate days. Of these, 16 were 1 inch across or larger, and none reached 2 inches. The largest size, 1.75 inches (golf ball size), was reported on 3 days, most recently July 17, 2006. The most recent report is from May 7, 2014. May has the most reports, 15.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Merrill
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Midland, MI, 15 miles northeast of Merrill at 640 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 82°F and low of 62°F; January is the coolest, at 29°F and 17°F. May and June are the wettest at 3.7 inches of precipitation on average and February the driest at 1.9 inches; the year adds up to 33.4 inches over 70 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 136 nights a year. That 33.4 inches is more than at 52 of the 131 Michigan stations used on this site (40%). Hemlock, 6 miles east, has its own station (Saginaw Mbs International Airport, MI): 32.2 inches a year, 1.2 less than here, and the same July average high, 82°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 29 | 17 | 2.0 | 5 |
| Feb | 32 | 18 | 1.9 | 5 |
| Mar | 43 | 25 | 2.0 | 5 |
| Apr | 56 | 36 | 3.5 | 7 |
| May | 68 | 48 | 3.7 | 7 |
| Jun | 78 | 57 | 3.7 | 6 |
| Jul | 82 | 62 | 2.8 | 6 |
| Aug | 80 | 60 | 3.2 | 6 |
| Sep | 73 | 52 | 2.8 | 5 |
| Oct | 60 | 42 | 3.1 | 6 |
| Nov | 46 | 32 | 2.7 | 5 |
| Dec | 34 | 23 | 2.0 | 5 |
| Year | 57 | 39 | 33.4 | 70 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Midland, MI (640 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 Merrill
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 36 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Merrill: 31 thunderstorm wind reports, 2 floods, 1 flash flood, 1 heavy rain event and 1 lightning strike. None is recorded as killing or injuring anyone; the NWS estimated $430,000 in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 86 mph, on May 31, 1998.
April 10, 2013: flood in Merrill — $150,000 damage.
May 31, 1998: thunderstorm wind 7 miles from the centre of Merrill — $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
Saginaw County, which includes Merrill, has been named in 18 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1973, 14 of them major disasters (by incident: 6 floods, 6 severe storms, 2 biological emergencies, 2 snowstorms). The latest major disaster declaration was Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding, on June 30, 2026. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Saginaw County a Relatively Moderate rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively High for tornadoes and strong wind; Relatively Moderate for hail and inland flooding; Relatively Low for lightning and heat waves; Very Low for hurricanes. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $71.9 million a year, the 8th highest of 83 Michigan counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $43.3 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.
Cities near Merrill
- Hemlock, MI6 mi
- Breckenridge, MI7 mi
- Saint Charles, MI12 mi
- Freeland, MI13 mi
- Saint Louis, MI13 mi
- Midland, MI16 mi
- Ithaca, MI16 mi
- Alma, MI16 mi
- Saginaw, MI18 mi
- Chesaning, MI19 mi
- Shepherd, MI19 mi
- Auburn, MI19 mi
All Michigan cities →All hurricanes since 1851 →Compare Merrill with another place →