NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Ortonville, 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
6 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Ortonville, Michigan since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Ike in 2008. Since 1950, 90 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 9 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 6
- Tornadoes
- 90
- EF3 or stronger
- 9
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
121 deaths in all
What the records show for Ortonville
None of the 6 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Ortonville; the strongest was an unnamed storm in 1900, a tropical storm with 64 mph winds when its centre passed 47 miles away. The record near Ortonville begins with an unnamed storm in 1892; the most recent system was Ike in 2008, a tropical storm 31 miles away. Of the 6 systems, one has come since 2000. Ortonville has more tropical storms and hurricanes within 75 miles than 76% of the 546 Michigan cities on this site. The strongest of the 90 tornadoes within 25 miles was an F5 on June 8, 1953; its path came within 22 miles, and it killed 116 people. Of the 90, one had a path within 5 miles of the city centre, and 25 have come since 2000. July has had the most tornadoes, 20. The most recent tornado was on May 15, 2025. Ortonville has more tornadoes within 25 miles than 84% of the 546 Michigan cities. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 61 times since 1964, with stones up to 1.75 inches (golf ball size). Ortonville has more hail reports within 10 miles than 74% of the 546 Michigan cities.
Compare Ortonville's storm record with another city →
Tropical storms and hurricanes near Ortonville
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | IkeSep 14 | 31 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1941 | Unnamed 1941 stormSep 25 | 69 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1932 | Unnamed 1932 stormSep 4 | 16 mi | Tropical storm (48 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1923 | Unnamed 1923 stormOct 19 | 50 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1900 | Unnamed 1900 stormSep 12 | 47 mi | Tropical storm (64 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1892 | Unnamed 1892 stormSep 14 | 37 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 Ortonville: 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 Ortonville
By decade
- 2020s7
- 2010s8
- 2000s10
- 1990s14
- 1980s20(1 EF3+)
- 1970s17(3 EF3+)
- 1960s3
- 1950s11(5 EF3+)
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 8, 1953 | F5 | 22 mi | 18.9 mi | 116 / 844 |
| May 12, 1956 | F4 | 11 mi | 6.6 mi | 3 / 116 |
| Mar 20, 1976 | F4 | 21 mi | 3.8 mi | 1 / 55 |
| Jul 4, 1957 | F4 | 22 mi | 29.9 mi | 0 / 6 |
| Jun 8, 1953 | F4 | 25 mi | 33.8 mi | 0 / 23 |
| Aug 8, 1984 | F3 | 17 mi | 0.8 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jul 14, 1974 | F3 | 15 mi | 1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Aug 2, 1972 | F3 | 20 mi | 0.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 8, 1953 | F3 | 21 mi | 9.1 mi | 0 / 11 |
| Feb 28, 2024 | EF2 | 9 mi | 5.73 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 28, 2013 | EF2 | 7 mi | 4.61 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 28, 2013 | EF2 | 14 mi | 5.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 12 of 90, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Ortonville
The Storm Prediction Center has 61 hail reports within 10 miles of Ortonville since 1964, made on 40 separate days. Of these, 26 were 1 inch across or larger, and none reached 2 inches. The largest size, 1.75 inches (golf ball size), was reported on 7 days, most recently July 3, 2012. The most recent report is from May 17, 2024. July has the most reports, 20.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Ortonville
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Goodrich, MI, 6 miles northwest of Ortonville at 910 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. May and July are the wettest at 3.7 inches of precipitation on average and February the driest at 1.5 inches; the year adds up to 32.3 inches over 74 days with at least a tenth of an inch. Highs reach 90°F on about 12 days a year, almost all from June to September. Lows fall below freezing on about 148 nights a year. That 32.3 inches is more than at 34 of the 131 Michigan stations used on this site (26%). Clarkston, 7 miles south, has its own station (White Lake 4E, MI): 35.5 inches a year, 3.2 more than here, and a July average high of 80°F against 82°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 30 | 15 | 2.2 | 6 |
| Feb | 33 | 16 | 1.5 | 5 |
| Mar | 44 | 24 | 2.0 | 5 |
| Apr | 56 | 34 | 3.0 | 6 |
| May | 69 | 46 | 3.7 | 8 |
| Jun | 78 | 56 | 3.1 | 7 |
| Jul | 82 | 59 | 3.7 | 6 |
| Aug | 80 | 58 | 3.2 | 6 |
| Sep | 74 | 51 | 3.0 | 6 |
| Oct | 60 | 40 | 2.7 | 8 |
| Nov | 47 | 31 | 2.3 | 6 |
| Dec | 35 | 22 | 1.9 | 5 |
| Year | 57 | 38 | 32.3 | 74 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Goodrich, MI (910 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 Ortonville
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 131 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Ortonville: 124 thunderstorm wind reports, 3 lightning strikes, 2 flash floods and 2 floods. None is recorded as killing or injuring anyone; the NWS estimated $5.2 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 75 mph, on May 31, 1998.
October 8, 2021: flash flood 9 miles from the centre of Ortonville — $3.4 million damage.
April 4, 2026: flood 4 miles from the centre of Ortonville — $500,000 damage.
June 8, 2008: thunderstorm wind in Ortonville — $300,000 damage.
NWS: “Numerous trees down and snapped. Tree fell on truck.”
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
Oakland County, which includes Ortonville, has been named in 15 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1975, 9 of them major disasters (by incident: 5 severe storms, 3 floods, 3 snowstorms, 2 biological emergencies). The latest major disaster declaration was Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding, on February 8, 2024. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Oakland County a Relatively High rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Very High for tornadoes and strong wind; Relatively High for inland flooding, lightning and heat waves; Relatively Moderate for hail; Very Low for hurricanes. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $359.1 million a year, the 2nd highest of 83 Michigan counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $164.9 million (46%), 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.