NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Plainwell, 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 Plainwell, Michigan since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Ike in 2008. Since 1950, 95 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 6 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 5
- Tornadoes
- 95
- 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 Plainwell
None of the 5 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Plainwell; the strongest was an unnamed storm in 1900, a tropical storm with 61 mph winds when its centre passed 46 miles away. The record near Plainwell begins with an unnamed storm in 1900; the most recent system was Ike in 2008, a tropical storm 75 miles away. Of the 5 systems, one has come since 2000. Plainwell has more tropical storms and hurricanes within 75 miles than 48% of the 546 Michigan cities on this site. The strongest of the 95 tornadoes within 25 miles was an F4 on April 2, 1977; its path came within 13 miles. The deadliest, an F3 on May 13, 1980, killed 5 people. Of the 95, 5 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 36 have come since 2000. May has had the most tornadoes, 30. The most recent tornado was on May 15, 2025. Plainwell has more tornadoes within 25 miles than 90% of the 546 Michigan cities. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 23 times since 1972, with stones up to 2 inches (hen egg size). Of the 546 Michigan cities, 74% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Plainwell.
Compare Plainwell's storm record with another city →
Tropical storms and hurricanes near Plainwell
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | IkeSep 14 | 75 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1941 | Unnamed 1941 stormSep 25 | 8 mi | Tropical storm (47 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1932 | Unnamed 1932 stormSep 3 | 34 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1923 | Unnamed 1923 stormOct 19 | 26 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1900 | Unnamed 1900 stormSep 11 | 46 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 Plainwell: 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 Plainwell
By decade
- 2020s10
- 2010s11
- 2000s15
- 1990s7
- 1980s16(2 EF3+)
- 1970s16(1 EF3+)
- 1960s12(2 EF3+)
- 1950s8(1 EF3+)
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 2, 1977 | F4 | 13 mi | 12.4 mi | 0 / 10 |
| May 13, 1980 | F3 | 12 mi | 10.6 mi | 5 / 79 |
| May 13, 1980 | F3 | 15 mi | 21 mi | 0 / 15 |
| Apr 11, 1965 | F3 | 21 mi | 14.1 mi | 0 / 5 |
| Apr 11, 1965 | F3 | 6 mi | 14.2 mi | 0 / 17 |
| Apr 3, 1956 | F3 | 11 mi | 60.6 mi | 0 / 12 |
| May 7, 2024 | EF2 | 17 mi | 10.86 mi | 0 / 12 |
| Jun 19, 2009 | EF2 | 8 mi | 0.86 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 19, 2009 | EF2 | 14 mi | 5.88 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 21, 2001 | F2 | 11 mi | 1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 30, 1989 | F2 | 24 mi | 10.2 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 30, 1989 | F2 | 22 mi | 1 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 12 of 95, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Plainwell
The Storm Prediction Center has 23 hail reports within 10 miles of Plainwell since 1972, made on 19 separate days. Of these, 10 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 April 7, 2020. The most recent report is from March 31, 2023. September has the most reports, 6.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Plainwell
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Kalamazoo Battle Ck International Airport, MI, 16 miles south of Plainwell at 868 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 83°F and low of 62°F; January is the coolest, at 32°F and 18°F. Highs reach 90°F on about 13 days a year, almost all from June to September. Lows fall below freezing on about 129 nights a year. That 33.3 inches is more than at 48 of the 131 Michigan stations used on this site (37%). Otsego, 5 miles west, has its own station (Bloomingdale, MI): 41.1 inches a year, 7.8 more than here, and the same July average high, 83°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 32 | 18 | 1.7 | 4 |
| Feb | 35 | 20 | 1.3 | 4 |
| Mar | 46 | 27 | 2.0 | 5 |
| Apr | 59 | 38 | 3.1 | 7 |
| May | 70 | 49 | 3.7 | 9 |
| Jun | 80 | 58 | 3.2 | 6 |
| Jul | 83 | 62 | 3.4 | 6 |
| Aug | 81 | 60 | 3.7 | 6 |
| Sep | 74 | 53 | 3.3 | 6 |
| Oct | 61 | 42 | 3.7 | 7 |
| Nov | 48 | 33 | 2.5 | 6 |
| Dec | 37 | 24 | 1.7 | 4 |
| Year | 59 | 40 | 33.3 | 69 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Kalamazoo Battle Ck International Airport, MI (868 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 Plainwell
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 68 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Plainwell: 66 thunderstorm wind reports and 2 floods. None is recorded as killing or injuring anyone; the NWS estimated $17.4 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 75 mph, on July 11, 2011.
September 13, 2008: flood 9 miles from the centre of Plainwell — $11.0 million damage.
April 17, 2013: flood 8 miles from the centre of Plainwell — $5.0 million damage.
August 29, 2022: thunderstorm wind 5 miles from the centre of Plainwell — $250,000 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
Allegan County, which includes Plainwell, has been named in 17 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1965, 11 of them major disasters (by incident: 6 floods, 5 snowstorms, 2 biological emergencies, 2 severe storms). The latest major disaster declaration was Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding, on June 30, 2026. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Allegan County a Relatively Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively High for strong wind; Relatively Moderate for tornadoes, hail and inland flooding; Relatively Low for 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 $32.0 million a year, the 19th highest of 83 Michigan counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $22.1 million (69%), 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.