NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Ypsilanti, 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 Ypsilanti, Michigan since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Ike in 2008. Since 1950, 108 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 12 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 5
- Tornadoes
- 108
- EF3 or stronger
- 12
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
49 deaths in all
What the records show for Ypsilanti
None of the 5 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Ypsilanti; the strongest was Ike in 2008, a tropical storm with 58 mph winds when its centre passed 3 miles away. The record near Ypsilanti begins with an unnamed storm in 1892; the most recent system was Ike in 2008. Of the 5 systems, one has come since 2000. Ypsilanti has more tropical storms and hurricanes within 75 miles than 48% of the 546 Michigan cities on this site. The highest rating among the 108 tornadoes within 25 miles is F4, reached 5 times; the most recent, on March 20, 1976, came within 22 miles. The deadliest, an F4 on April 11, 1965, killed 23 people. Of the 108, 2 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 27 have come since 2000. June has had the most tornadoes, 26. The most recent tornado was on March 30, 2025. Ypsilanti has more tornadoes within 25 miles than 98% of the 546 Michigan cities. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 167 times since 1957, with stones up to 3.5 inches. Ypsilanti has more hail reports within 10 miles than 99% of the 546 Michigan cities.
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Tropical storms and hurricanes near Ypsilanti
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | IkeSep 14 | 3 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1932 | Unnamed 1932 stormSep 4 | 43 mi | Tropical storm (47 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1923 | Unnamed 1923 stormOct 19 | 67 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1915 | Unnamed 1915 stormAug 21 | 69 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1892 | Unnamed 1892 stormSep 14 | 32 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 Ypsilanti: 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 Ypsilanti
By decade
- 2020s8
- 2010s14(1 EF3+)
- 2000s5
- 1990s9(1 EF3+)
- 1980s24
- 1970s24(3 EF3+)
- 1960s12(3 EF3+)
- 1950s12(4 EF3+)
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 11, 1965 | F4 | 12 mi | 90.3 mi | 23 / 294 |
| Apr 11, 1965 | F4 | 12 mi | 80.5 mi | 21 / 293 |
| Mar 20, 1976 | F4 | 22 mi | 3.8 mi | 1 / 55 |
| Jul 4, 1957 | F4 | 20 mi | 29.9 mi | 0 / 6 |
| May 12, 1956 | F4 | 20 mi | 6.8 mi | 0 / 22 |
| May 11, 1974 | F3 | 24 mi | 0.9 mi | 1 / 0 |
| Jun 8, 1953 | F3 | 9 mi | 11.3 mi | 1 / 5 |
| Mar 15, 2012 | EF3 | 14 mi | 7.57 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Sep 14, 1990 | F3 | 19 mi | 24 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Aug 2, 1972 | F3 | 22 mi | 0.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jul 4, 1969 | F3 | 8 mi | 13.9 mi | 0 / 54 |
| Jun 8, 1953 | F3 | 24 mi | 9.1 mi | 0 / 11 |
The strongest 12 of 108, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Ypsilanti
The Storm Prediction Center has 167 hail reports within 10 miles of Ypsilanti since 1957, made on 79 separate days. Of these, 76 were 1 inch across or larger, and 7 reached 2 inches. The largest, 3.5 inches, fell on April 9, 2001. The most recent report is from August 16, 2025. July has the most reports, 41.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Ypsilanti
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Ann Arbor SE, MI, 4 miles west of Ypsilanti at 832 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 84°F and low of 59°F; January is the coolest, at 32°F and 16°F. June is the wettest at 4.3 inches of precipitation on average and February the driest at 2.4 inches; the year adds up to 37.8 inches over 82 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 147 nights a year. Snowfall averages 59.3 inches a year, most of it in February. That 37.8 inches is more than at 108 of the 131 Michigan stations used on this site (82%). Belleville, 7 miles east, has its own station (Detroit Willow Run Airport, MI): 30.2 inches a year, 7.6 less than here, and a July average high of 86°F against 84°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" | Snow in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 32 | 16 | 2.8 | 8 | 16.6 |
| Feb | 35 | 16 | 2.4 | 6 | 17.1 |
| Mar | 45 | 25 | 2.8 | 6 | 7.3 |
| Apr | 58 | 34 | 3.3 | 7 | 2.4 |
| May | 70 | 46 | 3.8 | 8 | 0.0 |
| Jun | 80 | 56 | 4.3 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Jul | 84 | 59 | 3.9 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Aug | 82 | 58 | 3.3 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Sep | 75 | 50 | 3.0 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Oct | 62 | 39 | 2.9 | 7 | 0.1 |
| Nov | 48 | 30 | 2.7 | 7 | 3.9 |
| Dec | 36 | 22 | 2.6 | 7 | 11.9 |
| Year | 59 | 38 | 37.8 | 82 | 59.3 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Ann Arbor SE, MI (832 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 Ypsilanti
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 254 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Ypsilanti: 241 thunderstorm wind reports, 6 flash floods, 5 lightning strikes and 2 floods. They killed 1 person and injured 4, and the NWS estimated $16.1 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 82 mph, on July 23, 2010. July has had the most flash floods, 5 of 6. Of the 376 Michigan cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 300 have had fewer than Ypsilanti.
June 18, 2014: lightning strike 3 miles from the centre of Ypsilanti — 1 killed.
May 25, 2019: thunderstorm wind 10 miles from the centre of Ypsilanti — 2 injured.
July 19, 2019: thunderstorm wind 8 miles from the centre of Ypsilanti — 1 injured.
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
Flood insurance policyholders in Ypsilanti's 2 ZIP codes have filed 14 claims with the National Flood Insurance Program since 1983, and were paid $26,000 for buildings and contents, in the dollars of each year. Of the 160 Michigan cities on this site with 10 or more claims, 19 have fewer than Ypsilanti.
Washtenaw County, which includes Ypsilanti, has been named in 12 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1965, 6 of them major disasters (by incident: 3 snowstorms, 2 biological emergencies, 2 floods, 2 severe storms). The latest major disaster declaration was Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding, on June 30, 2026. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Washtenaw County a Relatively Moderate rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively High for tornadoes, strong wind and lightning; Relatively Moderate for hail, inland flooding and heat waves; Very Low for hurricanes. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $92.7 million a year, the 6th highest of 83 Michigan counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $46.6 million (50%), 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 Ypsilanti
- Belleville, MI7 mi
- Ann Arbor, MI7 mi
- Willis, MI8 mi
- Canton, MI9 mi
- Saline, MI10 mi
- Northville, MI10 mi
- Milan, MI11 mi
- Plymouth, MI12 mi
- Wayne, MI12 mi
- Romulus, MI12 mi
- Westland, MI14 mi
- New Boston, MI14 mi
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