NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Paw Paw, 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
5 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Paw Paw, Michigan since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Ike in 2008. Since 1950, 69 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 6 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 5
- Tornadoes
- 69
- EF3 or stronger
- 6
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
6 deaths in all
What the records show for Paw Paw
None of the 5 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Paw Paw; the strongest was an unnamed storm in 1900, a tropical storm with 61 mph winds when its centre passed 58 miles away. The record near Paw Paw begins with an unnamed storm in 1900; the most recent system was Ike in 2008, a tropical storm 70 miles away. Of the 5 systems, one has come since 2000. Paw Paw has more tropical storms and hurricanes within 75 miles than 48% of the 546 Michigan cities on this site. The strongest of the 69 tornadoes within 25 miles was an F4 on April 2, 1977; its path came within 18 miles. The deadliest, an F3 on May 13, 1980, killed 5 people. Of the 69, 6 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 25 have come since 2000. May has had the most tornadoes, 21. The most recent tornado was on May 15, 2025. Paw Paw has more tornadoes within 25 miles than 54% of the 546 Michigan cities. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 35 times since 1970, with stones up to 2 inches (hen egg size). Of the 546 Michigan cities, 49% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Paw Paw.
Compare Paw Paw's storm record with another city →
Tropical storms and hurricanes near Paw Paw
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | IkeSep 14 | 70 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1941 | Unnamed 1941 stormSep 25 | 6 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1932 | Unnamed 1932 stormSep 3 | 32 mi | Tropical storm (45 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1923 | Unnamed 1923 stormOct 19 | 29 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1900 | Unnamed 1900 stormSep 11 | 58 mi | Tropical storm (61 mph) | Category 4 |
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Paw Paw: 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 Paw Paw
By decade
- 2020s4
- 2010s11
- 2000s10(1 EF3+)
- 1990s4
- 1980s13(2 EF3+)
- 1970s13(1 EF3+)
- 1960s6(1 EF3+)
- 1950s8(1 EF3+)
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 2, 1977 | F4 | 18 mi | 12.4 mi | 0 / 10 |
| May 13, 1980 | F3 | 11 mi | 10.6 mi | 5 / 79 |
| Oct 24, 2001 | F3 | 16 mi | 47 mi | 1 / 2 |
| May 13, 1980 | F3 | 4 mi | 21 mi | 0 / 15 |
| Apr 11, 1965 | F3 | 18 mi | 14.2 mi | 0 / 17 |
| Apr 3, 1956 | F3 | 11 mi | 60.6 mi | 0 / 12 |
| Aug 6, 2024 | EF2 | 15 mi | 8.46 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 7, 2024 | EF2 | 12 mi | 10.86 mi | 0 / 12 |
| Jun 5, 2010 | EF2 | 20 mi | 2.73 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 19, 2009 | EF2 | 23 mi | 0.86 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 19, 2009 | EF2 | 18 mi | 5.88 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jul 13, 1992 | F2 | 15 mi | 4 mi | 0 / 25 |
The strongest 12 of 69, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Paw Paw
The Storm Prediction Center has 35 hail reports within 10 miles of Paw Paw since 1970, made on 32 separate days. Of these, 18 were 1 inch across or larger, and 2 reached 2 inches. The largest size, 2 inches (hen egg size), was reported on 2 days, most recently July 6, 2003. The most recent report is from February 27, 2024. May has the most reports, 11.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Paw Paw
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Bloomingdale, MI, 11 miles north of Paw Paw at 736 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 83°F and low of 60°F; January is the coolest, at 32°F and 17°F. October is the wettest at 4.4 inches of precipitation on average and February the driest at 2.3 inches; the year adds up to 41.1 inches over 88 days with at least a tenth of an inch. Highs reach 90°F on about 13 days a year, almost all from June to September. Lows fall below freezing on about 153 nights a year. Snowfall averages 109.0 inches a year, most of it in January. That 41.1 inches is more than at 127 of the 131 Michigan stations used on this site (97%). Mattawan, 6 miles east, has its own station (Kalamazoo Battle Ck International Airport, MI): 33.3 inches a year, 7.8 less than here, and the same July average high, 83°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" | Snow in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 32 | 17 | 3.2 | 9 | 35.9 |
| Feb | 35 | 18 | 2.3 | 7 | 22.9 |
| Mar | 45 | 25 | 2.5 | 7 | 7.9 |
| Apr | 58 | 35 | 3.6 | 8 | 1.7 |
| May | 70 | 46 | 4.1 | 8 | 0.0 |
| Jun | 79 | 57 | 3.8 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Jul | 83 | 60 | 3.7 | 5 | 0.0 |
| Aug | 81 | 59 | 3.9 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Sep | 75 | 51 | 3.4 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Oct | 62 | 40 | 4.4 | 8 | 0.5 |
| Nov | 48 | 31 | 3.2 | 8 | 7.3 |
| Dec | 37 | 23 | 3.0 | 9 | 32.8 |
| Year | 59 | 38 | 41.1 | 88 | 109.0 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Bloomingdale, MI (736 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 Paw Paw
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 64 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Paw Paw: 64 thunderstorm wind reports. None is recorded as killing or injuring anyone; the NWS estimated $4.7 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 75 mph, on July 11, 2011.
June 13, 2022: thunderstorm wind 9 miles from the centre of Paw Paw — $2.0 million damage.
July 11, 2011: thunderstorm wind 9 miles from the centre of Paw Paw — $1.0 million damage.
July 17, 2006: thunderstorm wind 9 miles from the centre of Paw Paw — $300,000 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
Van Buren County, which includes Paw Paw, has been named in 13 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1973, 7 of them major disasters (by incident: 4 floods, 4 snowstorms, 2 biological emergencies, 1 hurricane). The latest major disaster declaration was Covid-19 Pandemic, on March 27, 2020. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Van Buren County a Relatively Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively High for hail and strong wind; Relatively Moderate for tornadoes; Relatively Low for inland flooding, lightning and heat waves; Very Low for hurricanes and coastal flooding. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $20.4 million a year, the 33rd highest of 83 Michigan counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $9.2 million (45%), 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.