NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit North Branch, 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 North Branch, Michigan since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Ike in 2008. Since 1950, 64 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 6 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 7
- Tornadoes
- 64
- EF3 or stronger
- 6
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
120 deaths in all
What the records show for North Branch
None of the 7 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed North Branch; the strongest was an unnamed storm in 1900, a tropical storm with 64 mph winds when its centre passed 25 miles away. The record near North Branch begins with an unnamed storm in 1892; the most recent system was Ike in 2008, a tropical storm 45 miles away. Of the 7 systems, one has come since 2000. North Branch is tied for the most tropical storms and hurricanes within 75 miles among the 546 Michigan cities on this site. The strongest of the 64 tornadoes within 25 miles was an F5 on June 8, 1953; its path came within 11 miles, and it killed 116 people. Of the 64, 4 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 22 have come since 2000. June has had the most tornadoes, 19. The most recent tornado was on May 15, 2025. Of the 546 Michigan cities, 51% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than North Branch. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 27 times since 1956, with stones up to 2.5 inches (tennis ball size). Of the 546 Michigan cities, 66% have more hail reports within 10 miles than North Branch.
Compare North Branch's storm record with another city →
Tropical storms and hurricanes near North Branch
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | IkeSep 14 | 45 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1955 | ConnieAug 14 | 49 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1941 | Unnamed 1941 stormSep 25 | 59 mi | Tropical storm (53 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1932 | Unnamed 1932 stormSep 4 | 4 mi | Tropical storm (49 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1923 | Unnamed 1923 stormOct 19 | 44 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1900 | Unnamed 1900 stormSep 12 | 25 mi | Tropical storm (64 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1892 | Unnamed 1892 stormSep 14 | 34 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 North Branch: 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 North Branch
By decade
- 2020s3
- 2010s9
- 2000s10
- 1990s10(1 EF3+)
- 1980s12(1 EF3+)
- 1970s13(1 EF3+)
- 1960s1
- 1950s6(3 EF3+)
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 8, 1953 | F5 | 11 mi | 18.9 mi | 116 / 844 |
| May 12, 1956 | F4 | 24 mi | 6.6 mi | 3 / 116 |
| Jun 8, 1953 | F4 | 4 mi | 33.8 mi | 0 / 23 |
| Jul 2, 1997 | F3 | 21 mi | 1.7 mi | 1 / 1 |
| Sep 2, 1984 | F3 | 21 mi | 15.6 mi | 0 / 1 |
| Jul 14, 1974 | F3 | 21 mi | 1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 22, 2015 | EF2 | 16 mi | 11.27 mi | 0 / 2 |
| May 28, 2013 | EF2 | 24 mi | 4.61 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Mar 15, 2012 | EF2 | 10 mi | 4.59 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 21, 1996 | F2 | 22 mi | 0.2 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Oct 4, 1990 | F2 | 25 mi | 3 mi | 0 / 1 |
| Aug 30, 1984 | F2 | 3 mi | 5.6 mi | 0 / 4 |
The strongest 12 of 64, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in North Branch
The Storm Prediction Center has 27 hail reports within 10 miles of North Branch since 1956, made on 22 separate days. Of these, 13 were 1 inch across or larger, and 3 reached 2 inches. The largest, 2.5 inches (tennis ball size), fell on September 2, 1984. The most recent report is from July 14, 2023. July has the most reports, 9.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in North Branch
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Lapeer Wwtp, MI, 12 miles southwest of North Branch at 820 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 82°F and low of 59°F; January is the coolest, at 30°F and 15°F. Highs reach 90°F on about 9 days a year, almost all from June to September. Lows fall below freezing on about 148 nights a year. Snowfall averages 34.4 inches a year, most of it in January. That 31.9 inches is more than at 25 of the 131 Michigan stations used on this site (19%). Fostoria, 8 miles west, has its own station (Lapeer 2W, MI): 36.3 inches a year, 4.4 more than here, and the same July average high, 82°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" | Snow in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 30 | 15 | 2.3 | 6 | 10.8 |
| Feb | 33 | 15 | 1.9 | 5 | 8.2 |
| Mar | 43 | 23 | 1.9 | 5 | 4.8 |
| Apr | 56 | 34 | 3.1 | 7 | 1.0 |
| May | 69 | 45 | 3.2 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Jun | 79 | 55 | 3.1 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Jul | 82 | 59 | 3.3 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Aug | 81 | 58 | 3.1 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Sep | 74 | 50 | 2.8 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Oct | 61 | 40 | 2.9 | 7 | 0.1 |
| Nov | 47 | 30 | 2.4 | 6 | 1.9 |
| Dec | 36 | 22 | 1.9 | 6 | 7.6 |
| Year | 58 | 37 | 31.9 | 72 | 34.4 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Lapeer Wwtp, MI (820 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 North Branch
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 57 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of North Branch: 55 thunderstorm wind reports and 2 lightning strikes. None is recorded as killing or injuring anyone; the NWS estimated $620,000 in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 81 mph, on May 23, 2004.
July 24, 2005: thunderstorm wind 10 miles from the centre of North Branch — $250,000 damage.
August 29, 2007: lightning strike 5 miles from the centre of North Branch — $175,000 damage.
NWS: “The local newspaper reported a home destroyed by fire after being struck by lightning during a violent thunderstorm. Total property damages were estimated at roughly $175K.”
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
Lapeer County, which includes North Branch, has been named in 11 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1975, 6 of them major disasters (by incident: 3 floods, 2 biological emergencies, 2 severe storms, 2 snowstorms). The latest major disaster declaration was Covid-19 Pandemic, on March 27, 2020. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Lapeer 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, lightning and heat waves; Very Low for hurricanes. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $28.0 million a year, the 23rd highest of 83 Michigan counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $13.4 million (48%), 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.