NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Rapid River, 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
1 tropical system has passed within 75 miles of Rapid River, Michigan since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Cristobal in 2020. Since 1950, 13 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 1 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 1
- Tornadoes
- 13
- EF3 or stronger
- 1
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
no recorded deaths
What the records show for Rapid River
None of the 1 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Rapid River; the strongest was Cristobal in 2020, a tropical storm with 40 mph winds when its centre passed 72 miles away. Of the 546 Michigan cities on this site, 85% have more tropical storms and hurricanes within 75 miles than Rapid River. The strongest of the 13 tornadoes within 25 miles was an F3 on July 11, 1987; its path came within 4 miles. Of the 13, 4 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 3 have come since 2000. July has had the most tornadoes, 8. The most recent tornado was on August 31, 2020. Of the 546 Michigan cities, 91% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Rapid River. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 30 times since 1980, with stones up to 2 inches (hen egg size). Of the 546 Michigan cities, 59% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Rapid River.
Compare Rapid River's storm record with another city →
Tropical storms and hurricanes near Rapid River
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | CristobalJun 10 | 72 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Rapid River: 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 Rapid River
By decade
- 2020s1
- 2000s2
- 1990s4
- 1980s1(1 EF3+)
- 1970s4
- 1960s1
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 11, 1987 | F3 | 4 mi | 71 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jul 19, 1992 | F2 | 8 mi | 0.2 mi | 0 / 2 |
| Jul 20, 1972 | F2 | 16 mi | 0.8 mi | 0 / 1 |
| Aug 31, 2020 | EF1 | 17 mi | 0.61 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 25, 1998 | F1 | 8 mi | 1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Oct 5, 1997 | F1 | 19 mi | 0.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jul 14, 1974 | F1 | 14 mi | 5.2 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Aug 16, 1968 | F1 | 15 mi | 0.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jul 25, 2008 | EF0 | 4 mi | 0.09 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 30, 2002 | F0 | 4 mi | 1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jul 28, 1993 | F0 | 5 mi | 0.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jul 11, 1975 | F0 | 23 mi | 0.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 12 of 13, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Rapid River
The Storm Prediction Center has 30 hail reports within 10 miles of Rapid River since 1980, made on 23 separate days. Of these, 19 were 1 inch across or larger, and one reached 2 inches. The largest, 2 inches (hen egg size), fell on June 18, 2012. The most recent report is from May 22, 2019. July has the most reports, 13.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Rapid River
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Cornell 5SE, MI, 14 miles southwest of Rapid River at 794 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 82°F and low of 55°F; January is the coolest, at 27°F and 8°F. September is the wettest at 3.6 inches of precipitation on average and February the driest at 1.1 inches; the year adds up to 30.1 inches over 67 days with at least a tenth of an inch. Highs reach 90°F on about 5 days a year, almost all from July to August. Lows fall below freezing on about 181 nights a year. Snowfall averages 42.6 inches a year, most of it in January. That 30.1 inches is more than at 12 of the 131 Michigan stations used on this site (9%). Escanaba, 15 miles southwest, has its own station (Escanaba, MI): 28.9 inches a year, 1.2 less than here, and a July average high of 77°F against 82°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" | Snow in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 27 | 8 | 1.2 | 4 | 10.3 |
| Feb | 30 | 9 | 1.1 | 3 | 8.4 |
| Mar | 41 | 18 | 1.4 | 4 | 7.9 |
| Apr | 53 | 29 | 2.5 | 6 | 3.1 |
| May | 66 | 40 | 2.9 | 7 | 0.1 |
| Jun | 76 | 50 | 3.2 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Jul | 82 | 55 | 3.5 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Aug | 81 | 54 | 3.5 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Sep | 72 | 47 | 3.6 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Oct | 58 | 36 | 3.3 | 7 | 0.4 |
| Nov | 44 | 26 | 2.2 | 5 | 3.7 |
| Dec | 33 | 16 | 1.7 | 5 | 8.7 |
| Year | 55 | 32 | 30.1 | 67 | 42.6 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Cornell 5SE, MI (794 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 Rapid River
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 35 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Rapid River: 29 thunderstorm wind reports, 5 heavy rain events and 1 flood. None is recorded as killing or injuring anyone; the NWS estimated $78,000 in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 81 mph, on August 9, 2005.
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
Delta County, which includes Rapid River, has been named in 6 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1977, 2 of them major disasters (by incident: 2 biological emergencies, 1 drought, 1 hurricane, 1 snowstorm). The latest major disaster declaration was Covid-19 Pandemic, on March 27, 2020. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Delta County a Relatively Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively Moderate for hail and lightning; Relatively Low for inland flooding and strong wind; Very Low for tornadoes, coastal flooding and heat waves. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $14.7 million a year, the 42nd highest of 83 Michigan counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $7.7 million (53%), 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 Rapid River
- Gladstone, MI9 mi
- Escanaba, MI15 mi
- Bark River, MI24 mi
- Manistique, MI28 mi
- Munising, MI32 mi
- Gwinn, MI36 mi
- Vulcan, MI44 mi
- Norway, MI49 mi
- Stephenson, MI49 mi
- Marquette, MI50 mi
- Negaunee, MI52 mi
- Sister Bay, WI52 mi
All Michigan cities →All hurricanes since 1851 →Compare Rapid River with another place →