NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Pontiac, 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 Pontiac, Michigan since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Ike in 2008. Since 1950, 91 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 9 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 5
- Tornadoes
- 91
- EF3 or stronger
- 9
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
17 deaths in all
What the records show for Pontiac
None of the 5 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Pontiac; the strongest was an unnamed storm in 1900, a tropical storm with 64 mph winds when its centre passed 62 miles away. The record near Pontiac begins with an unnamed storm in 1892; the most recent system was Ike in 2008, a tropical storm 17 miles away. Of the 5 systems, one has come since 2000. Pontiac has more tropical storms and hurricanes within 75 miles than 48% of the 546 Michigan cities on this site. The highest rating among the 91 tornadoes within 25 miles is F4, reached 3 times; the most recent, on March 20, 1976, came within 7 miles. The deadliest, an F4 on May 8, 1964, killed 11 people. Of the 91, 6 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 25 have come since 2000. July has had the most tornadoes, 19. The most recent tornado was on June 18, 2025. Pontiac has more tornadoes within 25 miles than 86% of the 546 Michigan cities. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 69 times since 1960, with stones up to 1.75 inches (golf ball size). Pontiac has more hail reports within 10 miles than 78% of the 546 Michigan cities.
Compare Pontiac's storm record with another city →
Tropical storms and hurricanes near Pontiac
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | IkeSep 14 | 17 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1932 | Unnamed 1932 stormSep 4 | 31 mi | Tropical storm (48 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1923 | Unnamed 1923 stormOct 19 | 63 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1900 | Unnamed 1900 stormSep 12 | 62 mi | Tropical storm (64 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1892 | Unnamed 1892 stormSep 14 | 26 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 Pontiac: 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 Pontiac
By decade
- 2020s9
- 2010s6
- 2000s10
- 1990s15(1 EF3+)
- 1980s22(1 EF3+)
- 1970s16(3 EF3+)
- 1960s3(1 EF3+)
- 1950s10(3 EF3+)
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 8, 1964 | F4 | 24 mi | 3.3 mi | 11 / 224 |
| Mar 20, 1976 | F4 | 7 mi | 3.8 mi | 1 / 55 |
| Jul 4, 1957 | F4 | 9 mi | 29.9 mi | 0 / 6 |
| Mar 20, 1976 | F3 | 17 mi | 17.1 mi | 1 / 3 |
| Nov 20, 1957 | F3 | 20 mi | 1.5 mi | 1 / 12 |
| Sep 14, 1990 | F3 | 12 mi | 24 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 2, 1983 | F3 | 22 mi | 23 mi | 0 / 3 |
| Aug 2, 1972 | F3 | 11 mi | 0.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 8, 1953 | F3 | 20 mi | 9.1 mi | 0 / 11 |
| Jun 21, 1987 | F2 | 15 mi | 0.3 mi | 1 / 6 |
| Feb 28, 2024 | EF2 | 24 mi | 5.73 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 28, 2013 | EF2 | 22 mi | 4.61 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 12 of 91, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Pontiac
The Storm Prediction Center has 69 hail reports within 10 miles of Pontiac since 1960, made on 50 separate days. Of these, 30 were 1 inch across or larger, and none reached 2 inches. The largest size, 1.75 inches (golf ball size), was reported on 5 days, most recently July 25, 1988. The most recent report is from March 15, 2025. July has the most reports, 21.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Pontiac
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Pontiac Wwtp, MI, 2 miles east of Pontiac 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%). Waterford, 4 miles west, has its own station (Pontiac Oakland Co International Airport, MI): 29.3 inches a year, 4.6 less than here, and the same July average high, 82°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" | Snow in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 31 | 17 | 2.2 | 5 | 12.1 |
| Feb | 34 | 18 | 1.9 | 5 | 9.0 |
| Mar | 44 | 26 | 2.2 | 5 | 4.1 |
| Apr | 58 | 36 | 2.9 | 7 | 0.9 |
| May | 69 | 49 | 3.8 | 8 | 0.0 |
| Jun | 78 | 59 | 3.3 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Jul | 82 | 63 | 3.1 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Aug | 81 | 62 | 3.2 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Sep | 74 | 54 | 2.9 | 5 | 0.0 |
| Oct | 61 | 42 | 2.9 | 7 | 0.1 |
| Nov | 47 | 32 | 3.2 | 6 | 1.7 |
| Dec | 36 | 24 | 2.3 | 6 | 8.1 |
| Year | 58 | 40 | 33.9 | 71 | 36.0 |
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.
Floods, thunderstorm wind and lightning near Pontiac
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 230 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Pontiac: 222 thunderstorm wind reports, 6 flash floods and 2 floods. They killed 0 people and injured 3, and the NWS estimated $3.5 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 81 mph, on June 8, 2008. July has had the most flash floods, 4 of 6. Of the 376 Michigan cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 300 have had fewer than Pontiac.
December 6, 1998: thunderstorm wind 10 miles from the centre of Pontiac — 2 injured, $60,000 damage.
July 29, 2019: thunderstorm wind 9 miles from the centre of Pontiac — 1 injured.
June 8, 2008: thunderstorm wind 5 miles from the centre of Pontiac — $1.2 million 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
Oakland County, which includes Pontiac, 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 Pontiac
- Auburn Hills, MI3 mi
- Keego Harbor, MI3 mi
- Waterford, MI4 mi
- Bloomfield Hills, MI5 mi
- Rochester Hills, MI7 mi
- West Bloomfield, MI7 mi
- Lake Orion, MI7 mi
- Clarkston, MI8 mi
- Birmingham, MI8 mi
- Bingham Farms, MI9 mi
- Troy, MI9 mi
- Oakland, MI10 mi
All Michigan cities →All hurricanes since 1851 →Compare Pontiac with another place →