NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Ontonagon, 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
1 tropical system has passed within 75 miles of Ontonagon, Michigan since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Cristobal in 2020. Since 1950, 2 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 0 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 1
- Tornadoes
- 2
- 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 Ontonagon
None of the 1 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Ontonagon; the strongest was Cristobal in 2020, a tropical storm with 40 mph winds when its centre passed 61 miles away. Of the 546 Michigan cities on this site, 85% have more tropical storms and hurricanes within 75 miles than Ontonagon. The strongest of the 2 tornadoes within 25 miles was an F1 on June 30, 1953; its path came within 5 miles. The most recent tornado was on August 19, 2011. Of the 546 Michigan cities, 99% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Ontonagon. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 10 times since 1998, with stones up to 1.25 inches (half dollar size). Of the 546 Michigan cities, 96% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Ontonagon.
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Tropical storms and hurricanes near Ontonagon
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | CristobalJun 10 | 61 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Ontonagon: 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 Ontonagon
By decade
- 2010s1
- 1950s1
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 30, 1953 | F1 | 5 mi | 10.9 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Aug 19, 2011 | EF0 | 2 mi | 1.54 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 2 of 2, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Ontonagon
The Storm Prediction Center has 10 hail reports within 10 miles of Ontonagon since 1998, made on 8 separate days. Of these, 5 were 1 inch across or larger, and none reached 2 inches. The largest, 1.25 inches (half dollar size), fell on October 18, 2007. The most recent report is from September 12, 2011. September has the most reports, 3.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Ontonagon
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Ontonagon 6 SE, MI, 7 miles east of Ontonagon at 790 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 79°F and low of 55°F; January is the coolest, at 25°F and 9°F. October is the wettest at 3.6 inches of precipitation on average and February the driest at 1.6 inches; the year adds up to 33.0 inches over 88 days with at least a tenth of an inch. Highs reach 90°F on about 6 days a year, almost all from June to August. Lows fall below freezing on about 175 nights a year. Snowfall averages 177.7 inches a year, most of it in January. That 33.0 inches is more than at 41 of the 131 Michigan stations used on this site (31%). Atlantic Mine, 35 miles northeast, has its own station (Jacobsville, MI): 31.8 inches a year, 1.2 less than here, and a July average high of 77°F against 79°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" | Snow in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 25 | 9 | 2.9 | 11 | 53.1 |
| Feb | 30 | 9 | 1.6 | 6 | 27.0 |
| Mar | 40 | 18 | 1.7 | 5 | 17.6 |
| Apr | 52 | 30 | 2.4 | 6 | 6.9 |
| May | 66 | 41 | 3.1 | 7 | 1.0 |
| Jun | 75 | 50 | 2.9 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Jul | 79 | 55 | 3.2 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Aug | 78 | 54 | 3.0 | 5 | 0.0 |
| Sep | 71 | 48 | 3.0 | 7 | 0.1 |
| Oct | 56 | 38 | 3.6 | 9 | 2.5 |
| Nov | 41 | 27 | 2.7 | 8 | 21.4 |
| Dec | 30 | 16 | 2.9 | 11 | 48.1 |
| Year | 54 | 33 | 33.0 | 88 | 177.7 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Ontonagon 6 SE, MI (790 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 Ontonagon
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 14 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Ontonagon: 11 thunderstorm wind reports, 2 heavy rain events and 1 flash flood. None is recorded as killing or injuring anyone; the NWS estimated $194,000 in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 75 mph, on July 21, 2016.
July 21, 2016: thunderstorm wind 2 miles from the centre of Ontonagon — $100,000 damage.
NWS: “The Ontonagon Emergency Manager reported dozens of trees down in and around the village of Ontonagon, including several down on homes. Power was out in the village for nearly eight hours.”
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
Ontonagon County, which includes Ontonagon, has been named in 8 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1977, 4 of them major disasters (by incident: 2 biological emergencies, 2 floods, 1 drought, 1 hurricane). The latest major disaster declaration was Covid-19 Pandemic, on March 27, 2020. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Ontonagon County a Very Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively Low for lightning; Very Low for tornadoes, hail, inland flooding, coastal flooding, strong wind and heat waves. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $2.4 million a year, the 81st highest of 83 Michigan counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $1.3 million (56%), 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 Ontonagon
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- Wakefield, MI38 mi
- Baraga, MI39 mi
- Chassell, MI40 mi
- Houghton, MI41 mi
- Bessemer, MI42 mi
- Hancock, MI42 mi
- Ironwood, MI46 mi
- Lanse, MI46 mi
- Calumet, MI50 mi
- Hurley, WI51 mi
- Lake Linden, MI53 mi
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