NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Zeeland, 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
4 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Zeeland, Michigan since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was an unnamed storm in 1941. Since 1950, 68 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 4 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 4
- Tornadoes
- 68
- EF3 or stronger
- 4
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
24 deaths in all
What the records show for Zeeland
None of the 4 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Zeeland; the strongest was an unnamed storm in 1900, a tropical storm with 61 mph winds when its centre passed 16 miles away. The record near Zeeland begins with an unnamed storm in 1900; the most recent system was an unnamed storm in 1941, a tropical storm 24 miles away. None of the 4 systems has come since 2000. Of the 546 Michigan cities on this site, 52% have more tropical storms and hurricanes within 75 miles than Zeeland. The strongest of the 68 tornadoes within 25 miles was an F5 on April 3, 1956; its path passed within a mile of the city centre, and it killed 17 people. Of the 68, 6 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 26 have come since 2000. May has had the most tornadoes, 14. The most recent tornado was on May 15, 2025. Zeeland has more tornadoes within 25 miles than 52% of the 546 Michigan cities. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 55 times since 1963, with stones up to 3 inches (tea cup size). Zeeland has more hail reports within 10 miles than 70% of the 546 Michigan cities.
Compare Zeeland's storm record with another city →
Tropical storms and hurricanes near Zeeland
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1941 | Unnamed 1941 stormSep 25 | 24 mi | Tropical storm (47 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1932 | Unnamed 1932 stormSep 3 | 66 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1923 | Unnamed 1923 stormOct 19 | 56 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1900 | Unnamed 1900 stormSep 11 | 16 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 Zeeland: 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 Zeeland
By decade
- 2020s8
- 2010s10
- 2000s8
- 1990s4
- 1980s7
- 1970s12
- 1960s13(2 EF3+)
- 1950s6(2 EF3+)
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 3, 1956 | F5 | in town | 58.8 mi | 17 / 292 |
| Apr 11, 1965 | F4 | 14 mi | 20.6 mi | 5 / 142 |
| Apr 21, 1967 | F3 | 12 mi | 13.6 mi | 0 / 32 |
| Apr 3, 1956 | F3 | 21 mi | 60.6 mi | 0 / 12 |
| Jul 21, 1983 | F2 | 15 mi | 13.6 mi | 1 / 1 |
| Jun 19, 2009 | EF2 | 24 mi | 5.88 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 30, 1989 | F2 | 21 mi | 10.2 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 20, 1975 | F2 | 14 mi | 2.3 mi | 0 / 1 |
| Jun 20, 1974 | F2 | 7 mi | 5.7 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Aug 5, 1968 | F2 | 24 mi | 52.7 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Oct 24, 1967 | F2 | 16 mi | 0.1 mi | 0 / 4 |
| Apr 21, 1967 | F2 | 11 mi | 18.6 mi | 0 / 4 |
The strongest 12 of 68, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Zeeland
The Storm Prediction Center has 55 hail reports within 10 miles of Zeeland since 1963, made on 49 separate days. Of these, 30 were 1 inch across or larger, and 5 reached 2 inches. The largest, 3 inches (tea cup size), fell on June 4, 1975. The most recent report is from April 7, 2020. July has the most reports, 13.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Zeeland
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Holland Tulip City Airport, MI, 8 miles southwest of Zeeland at 689 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 82°F and low of 62°F; January is the coolest, at 32°F and 20°F. October is the wettest at 4.2 inches of precipitation on average and February the driest at 1.8 inches; the year adds up to 35.0 inches over 74 days with at least a tenth of an inch. Highs reach 90°F on about 9 days a year, almost all from June to August. Lows fall below freezing on about 123 nights a year. That 35.0 inches is more than at 79 of the 131 Michigan stations used on this site (60%). Jenison, 10 miles northeast, has its own station (Grand Rapids, MI): 39.4 inches a year, 4.4 more than here, and a July average high of 83°F against 82°F.
Water temperature at the NOAA tide station Holland, MI, 12 miles west, averaged 71°F in July and 34°F in February over 2021–2025. No month averaged 80°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" | Water °F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 32 | 20 | 1.9 | 5 | 34 |
| Feb | 34 | 21 | 1.8 | 5 | 34 |
| Mar | 44 | 28 | 2.1 | 5 | 38 |
| Apr | 57 | 37 | 3.5 | 8 | 48 |
| May | 69 | 48 | 3.8 | 8 | 55 |
| Jun | 78 | 58 | 3.5 | 6 | 65 |
| Jul | 82 | 62 | 2.8 | 5 | 71 |
| Aug | 80 | 60 | 3.1 | 6 | 70 |
| Sep | 74 | 52 | 3.0 | 6 | 68 |
| Oct | 61 | 43 | 4.2 | 8 | 59 |
| Nov | 48 | 34 | 3.2 | 7 | 49 |
| Dec | 37 | 26 | 2.1 | 6 | 37 |
| Year | 58 | 41 | 35.0 | 74 | 52 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Holland Tulip City Airport, MI (689 ft), from NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals; water temperature: average of hourly readings 2021–2025 at the NOAA tide station Holland, 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 Zeeland
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 81 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Zeeland: 74 thunderstorm wind reports, 3 flash floods, 3 floods and 1 lightning strike. None is recorded as killing or injuring anyone; the NWS estimated $44.0 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 100 mph, on May 15, 2025.
June 19, 2009: flash flood 2 miles from the centre of Zeeland — $34.0 million damage.
NWS: “Numerous reports of damage to homes and streets across the warned area occurred. Over 2000 homes sustained some type of damage during the flooding.”
June 19, 2009: flash flood 8 miles from the centre of Zeeland — $4.0 million damage.
December 27, 2008: flood 5 miles from the centre of Zeeland — $3.6 million damage.
NWS: “Flooding across portions of Ottawa county was a result of the combination of heavy rain and melting of a significant snowpack across the area. There were up to 80 road closures and significant flooding of numerous intersections.”
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
Ottawa County, which includes Zeeland, has been named in 16 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1965, 10 of them major disasters (by incident: 4 floods, 4 severe storms, 4 snowstorms, 2 biological emergencies). The latest major disaster declaration was Covid-19 Pandemic, on March 27, 2020. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Ottawa County a Relatively Moderate rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively High for strong wind; Relatively Moderate for tornadoes, hail, inland flooding and lightning; Relatively Low for heat waves; Very Low for hurricanes and coastal flooding. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $68.2 million a year, the 9th highest of 83 Michigan counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $44.6 million (65%), 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 Zeeland
- Holland, MI7 mi
- Hudsonville, MI7 mi
- Jenison, MI10 mi
- Hamilton, MI10 mi
- West Olive, MI10 mi
- Allendale, MI10 mi
- Grandville, MI12 mi
- Dorr, MI13 mi
- Byron Center, MI14 mi
- Saugatuck, MI15 mi
- Wyoming, MI15 mi
- Marne, MI16 mi
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