NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Ray, 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
6 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Ray, Michigan since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Ike in 2008. Since 1950, 53 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 6 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 6
- Tornadoes
- 53
- EF3 or stronger
- 6
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
15 deaths in all
What the records show for Ray
None of the 6 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Ray; the strongest was an unnamed storm in 1900, a tropical storm with 64 mph winds when its centre passed 59 miles away. The record near Ray begins with an unnamed storm in 1892; the most recent system was Ike in 2008, a tropical storm 11 miles away. Of the 6 systems, one has come since 2000. Ray has more tropical storms and hurricanes within 75 miles than 76% of the 546 Michigan cities on this site. The highest rating among the 53 tornadoes within 25 miles is F4, reached 3 times; the most recent, on May 8, 1964, came within 7 miles. Of the 53, 5 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 10 have come since 2000. June has had the most tornadoes, 13. The most recent tornado was on June 18, 2025. Of the 546 Michigan cities, 59% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Ray. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 74 times since 1958, with stones up to 4.5 inches (grapefruit size). Ray has more hail reports within 10 miles than 80% of the 546 Michigan cities.
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Tropical storms and hurricanes near Ray
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | IkeSep 14 | 11 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1955 | ConnieAug 14 | 63 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1932 | Unnamed 1932 stormSep 4 | 37 mi | Tropical storm (49 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1923 | Unnamed 1923 stormOct 19 | 75 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1900 | Unnamed 1900 stormSep 12 | 59 mi | Tropical storm (64 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1892 | Unnamed 1892 stormSep 14 | 10 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 Ray: 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 Ray
By decade
- 2020s2
- 2010s6
- 2000s2
- 1990s8(1 EF3+)
- 1980s12(1 EF3+)
- 1970s16(1 EF3+)
- 1960s2(1 EF3+)
- 1950s5(2 EF3+)
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 8, 1964 | F4 | 7 mi | 3.3 mi | 11 / 224 |
| May 21, 1953 | F4 | 20 mi | 10 mi | 2 / 68 |
| Jul 4, 1957 | F4 | 19 mi | 29.9 mi | 0 / 6 |
| Mar 20, 1976 | F3 | in town | 17.1 mi | 1 / 3 |
| Sep 14, 1990 | F3 | 19 mi | 24 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 2, 1983 | F3 | 18 mi | 23 mi | 0 / 3 |
| Sep 10, 1986 | F2 | 21 mi | 7.7 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Aug 30, 1984 | F2 | 20 mi | 5.6 mi | 0 / 4 |
| May 19, 1983 | F2 | 6 mi | 1.8 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 21, 1975 | F2 | 21 mi | 0.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 15, 1974 | F2 | 8 mi | 2 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 26, 1973 | F2 | 21 mi | 0.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 12 of 53, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Ray
The Storm Prediction Center has 74 hail reports within 10 miles of Ray since 1958, made on 49 separate days. Of these, 36 were 1 inch across or larger, and one reached 2 inches. The largest, 4.5 inches (grapefruit size), fell on July 26, 1978. The most recent report is from May 15, 2025. May has the most reports, 18.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Ray
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Richmond 4 NNW, MI, 11 miles northeast of Ray at 765 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 83°F and low of 62°F; January is the coolest, at 30°F and 16°F. July is the wettest at 3.9 inches of precipitation on average and February the driest at 1.9 inches; the year adds up to 36.1 inches over 81 days with at least a tenth of an inch. Highs reach 90°F on about 14 days a year, almost all from June to September. Lows fall below freezing on about 143 nights a year. Snowfall averages 46.6 inches a year, most of it in February. That 36.1 inches is more than at 95 of the 131 Michigan stations used on this site (73%). New Haven, 6 miles east, has its own station (Mt Clemens Ang Base, MI): 35.1 inches a year, 1.0 less than here, and a July average high of 82°F against 83°F.
Water temperature at the NOAA tide station Algonac, MI, 22 miles southeast, averaged 73°F in August and 33°F in February over 2021–2025. No month averaged 80°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" | Snow in | Water °F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 30 | 16 | 2.4 | 7 | 10.8 | 36 |
| Feb | 33 | 16 | 1.9 | 5 | 13.3 | 33 |
| Mar | 42 | 25 | 2.1 | 6 | 6.1 | 36 |
| Apr | 56 | 36 | 3.2 | 7 | 2.6 | 42 |
| May | 69 | 47 | 3.8 | 9 | 0.0 | 51 |
| Jun | 78 | 58 | 3.6 | 7 | 0.0 | 62 |
| Jul | 83 | 62 | 3.9 | 6 | 0.0 | 70 |
| Aug | 80 | 59 | 3.3 | 6 | 0.0 | 73 |
| Sep | 73 | 52 | 3.5 | 6 | 0.0 | 69 |
| Oct | 60 | 41 | 3.0 | 8 | 0.0 | 61 |
| Nov | 47 | 32 | 3.0 | 7 | 3.5 | 51 |
| Dec | 35 | 23 | 2.4 | 7 | 10.3 | 42 |
| Year | 57 | 39 | 36.1 | 81 | 46.6 | 52 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Richmond 4 NNW, MI (765 ft), from NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals; water temperature: average of hourly readings 2021–2025 at the NOAA tide station Algonac, MI, from NOAA Tides & Currents. 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 Ray
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 199 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Ray: 180 thunderstorm wind reports, 8 flash floods, 7 lightning strikes and 4 floods. They killed 0 people and injured 1, and the NWS estimated $2.1 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 90 mph, on May 31, 1998. August has had the most flash floods, 3 of 8. Of the 376 Michigan cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 330 have had fewer than Ray.
June 5, 2005: thunderstorm wind 8 miles from the centre of Ray — 1 injured, $10,000 damage.
September 14, 2008: flood 8 miles from the centre of Ray — $750,000 damage.
May 31, 1998: thunderstorm wind 7 miles from the centre of Ray — $405,000 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
Macomb County, which includes Ray, has been named in 18 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1972, 12 of them major disasters (by incident: 6 floods, 5 severe storms, 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 Macomb County a Relatively High rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Very High for tornadoes and strong wind; Relatively High for inland flooding and lightning; Relatively Moderate for hail and heat waves; Relatively Low for coastal flooding; Very Low for hurricanes. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $268.0 million a year, the 3rd highest of 83 Michigan counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $145.9 million (54%), 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 Ray
- New Haven, MI6 mi
- Washington, MI6 mi
- Armada, MI6 mi
- Macomb, MI6 mi
- Romeo, MI8 mi
- Chesterfield, MI8 mi
- Shelby Township, MI9 mi
- Richmond, MI9 mi
- Mount Clemens, MI11 mi
- Clinton Township, MI12 mi
- Casco, MI12 mi
- Harrison Township, MI13 mi
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