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NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database

Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Oxford, 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 Oxford, Michigan since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Ike in 2008. Since 1950, 83 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 10 of them rated EF3 or stronger.

Hurricanes
0

within 75 mi, since 1851

Tropical storms
7

below hurricane strength

Tornadoes
83

within 25 mi, since 1950

EF3 or stronger
10

122 deaths in all

What the records show for Oxford

None of the 7 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Oxford; the strongest was an unnamed storm in 1900, a tropical storm with 64 mph winds when its centre passed 50 miles away. The record near Oxford begins with an unnamed storm in 1892; the most recent system was Ike in 2008, a tropical storm 26 miles away. Of the 7 systems, one has come since 2000. Oxford is tied for the most tropical storms and hurricanes within 75 miles among the 546 Michigan cities on this site. The strongest of the 83 tornadoes within 25 miles was an F5 on June 8, 1953; its path came within 25 miles, and it killed 116 people. Of the 83, one had a path within 5 miles of the city centre, and 24 have come since 2000. July has had the most tornadoes, 19. The most recent tornado was on June 18, 2025. Oxford has more tornadoes within 25 miles than 75% of the 546 Michigan cities. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 38 times since 1960, with stones up to 1.75 inches (golf ball size). Oxford has more hail reports within 10 miles than 54% of the 546 Michigan cities.

Compare Oxford's storm record with another city →

Tropical storms and hurricanes near Oxford

Tropical systems that passed within 75 miles of Oxford, Michigan, newest first
YearStormClosestStrength when closestPeak
2008IkeSep 1426 miTropical storm (58 mph)Category 4
1955ConnieAug 1471 miTropical storm (46 mph)Category 4
1941Unnamed 1941 stormSep 2575 miTropical storm (52 mph)Category 3
1932Unnamed 1932 stormSep 422 miTropical storm (48 mph)Category 1
1923Unnamed 1923 stormOct 1957 miTropical storm (40 mph)Tropical storm
1900Unnamed 1900 stormSep 1250 miTropical storm (64 mph)Category 4
1892Unnamed 1892 stormSep 1429 miTropical storm (58 mph)Tropical storm

Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Oxford: 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 Oxford

By decade

  • 2020s8
  • 2010s8
  • 2000s8
  • 1990s13(1 EF3+)
  • 1980s21(1 EF3+)
  • 1970s16(4 EF3+)
  • 1960s2
  • 1950s7(4 EF3+)
Strongest tornadoes near Oxford, Michigan
DateRatingDistancePathKilled / injured
Jun 8, 1953F525 mi18.9 mi116 / 844
May 12, 1956F417 mi6.6 mi3 / 116
Mar 20, 1976F419 mi3.8 mi1 / 55
Jul 4, 1957F421 mi29.9 mi0 / 6
Jun 8, 1953F423 mi33.8 mi0 / 23
Mar 20, 1976F318 mi17.1 mi1 / 3
Sep 14, 1990F324 mi24 mi0 / 0
Aug 8, 1984F325 mi0.8 mi0 / 0
Jul 14, 1974F321 mi1 mi0 / 0
Aug 2, 1972F321 mi0.1 mi0 / 0
Feb 28, 2024EF216 mi5.73 mi0 / 0
May 28, 2013EF214 mi4.61 mi0 / 0

The strongest 12 of 83, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.

Hail in Oxford

The Storm Prediction Center has 38 hail reports within 10 miles of Oxford since 1960, made on 24 separate days. Of these, 17 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 June 25, 2009. The most recent report is from June 21, 2025. June has the most reports, 14.

Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.

Weather by month in Oxford

The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Pontiac Wwtp, MI, 13 miles south of Oxford at 890 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 82°F and low of 63°F; January is the coolest, at 31°F and 17°F. May is the wettest at 3.8 inches of precipitation on average and February the driest at 1.9 inches; the year adds up to 33.9 inches over 71 days with at least a tenth of an inch. Highs reach 90°F on about 10 days a year, almost all from June to September. Lows fall below freezing on about 135 nights a year. Snowfall averages 36.0 inches a year, most of it in January. That 33.9 inches is more than at 60 of the 131 Michigan stations used on this site (46%). Ortonville, 8 miles west, has its own station (Goodrich, MI): 32.3 inches a year, 1.6 less than here, and the same July average high, 82°F.

Monthly climate normals 1991–2020 at Pontiac Wwtp, MI
MonthHigh °FLow °FPrecip. inDays ≥ 0.1"Snow in
Jan31172.2512.1
Feb34181.959.0
Mar44262.254.1
Apr58362.970.9
May69493.880.0
Jun78593.360.0
Jul82633.160.0
Aug81623.260.0
Sep74542.950.0
Oct61422.970.1
Nov47323.261.7
Dec36242.368.1
Year584033.97136.0

Averages for 1991–2020 at Pontiac Wwtp, MI (890 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.

Michigan weather by month, station by station →

Floods, thunderstorm wind and lightning near Oxford

Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 118 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Oxford: 112 thunderstorm wind reports, 4 flash floods and 2 lightning strikes. None is recorded as killing or injuring anyone; the NWS estimated $4.4 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 2 miles from the centre of Oxford — $3.4 million damage.

  • June 8, 2008: thunderstorm wind 8 miles from the centre of Oxford — $300,000 damage.

  • August 19, 2010: thunderstorm wind in Oxford — $100,000 damage.

    NWS: “Widespread trees down, with all trees in downtown Oxford damaged.”

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 Oxford, 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.

Cities near Oxford