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Elkhart; Lagrange; Steuben; Noble; De Kalb; Northern La Porte; Eastern St. Joseph; Southern La Porte; Western St. Joseph; Cass; St. Joseph; Branch; Hillsdale; Northern Berrien; Southern Berrien; Williams; Fulton; Defiance; Henry
Branch County, Michigan severe weather history spans 329 recorded events between 1954 and 2026. The dominant hazard is thunderstorm wind, accounting for 70.8% of all recorded events. It ranks #1,611 nationally and #21 in Michigan.
329
Recorded events
22
Direct deaths
434
Direct injuries
$255.0M
Property damage
The record
What the Branch County, Michigan severe weather history record shows
Across the archive, Branch County, Michigan severe weather history averages 4.6 recorded events a year. The busiest stretch on record is the 2010s, with 95 events logged in that decade alone. Roughly 59 events fall before 1990 and 270 from 1990 onward — a gap that reflects the expansion of NOAA reporting practice as much as the weather itself.
The deadliest hazard in the Branch County, Michigan record is tornado, responsible for 22 direct deaths. The costliest is tornado, with $253.2M in reported property damage. In total, 3 distinct hazard types appear in this county archive, each listed with its own dated record below.
By hazard type
Every hazard type recorded in Branch County
| Hazard | Events | Deaths | Damage | Max | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thunderstorm Wind | 233 | 0 | $768K | 70 | 1965–2026 |
| Hail | 72 | 0 | $1.0M | 4 | 1965–2026 |
| Tornado | 24 | 22 | $253.2M | F4 | 1954–2026 |
Decade by decade
Branch County, Michigan severe weather history by decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
Tornado tracks
Paths crossing this county
22 mapped tornado paths intersect this county: 17 touched down inside it and 5 crossed in from a neighbouring county. This comes from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
| Date | Scale | Deaths | Injuries | Path length | Origin |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1965-04-11 | EF4 | 23 | 294 | 90.3 mi | Crossed in |
| 1965-04-11 | EF4 | 21 | 293 | 80.5 mi | Touched down here |
| 1986-05-15 | EF3 | 0 | 0 | 1.2 mi | Touched down here |
| 2024-05-07 | EF2 | 0 | 1 | 19.5 mi | Crossed in |
| 1983-06-30 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 1.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 1976-03-12 | EF2 | 0 | 8 | 13.4 mi | Crossed in |
| 1975-05-21 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 0.8 mi | Touched down here |
| 1963-04-17 | EF1 | 1 | 0 | 1.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 2025-04-02 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 10.8 mi | Crossed in |
| 2025-04-02 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 3.7 mi | Touched down here |
Significant events
Deadliest events on record in Branch County
| Date | Type | Location | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 12, 1965 | Tornado | 9 | 200 | $0 | |
| Apr 12, 1965 | Tornado | 9 | 200 | $250.0M | |
| Mar 6, 2026 | Tornado | SHERWOOD | 3 | 12 | $0 |
| Apr 18, 1963 | Tornado | 1 | 0 | $25K | |
| Mar 28, 1991 | Thunderstorm Wind | 0 | 18 | $0 | |
| Aug 15, 1995 | Thunderstorm Wind | Algansee Twp | 0 | 3 | $5K |
| May 31, 1989 | Tornado | 0 | 1 | $250K |
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
Within the same parent cell as the Orland tornado, a NWS survey found a secondary tornado occurred in Branch County Michigan. Tree damage was first noted between W Southern Rd and Booth Rd. The tornado traveled northeast and then northerly, causing damage to multiple Amish buildings, many of which had already been repaired and debris cleaned up. Minor roof damage was noted to a barn on Cranson Rd. The tornado caused the most significant damage on W Pearl Rd west of Bethel where numerous large healthy trees were snapped or uprooted. Damage was also noted to a home, but repairs were completed prior to the survey. Maximum wind speeds were estimated at up to 100 mph based on the tree and limited structure damage that could be assessed.
A survey of damage was conducted in the Coldwater area. The damage found was consistent with a brief tornado touchdown within an area of wind damage around the touchdown location. The circulation touched down near U.S. 12 and Interstate 69, at 364 South Michigan Avenue. Major roof damage to a storage facility occurred, along with substantial tree damage. The garage door on the east side of a house was blown in just south of Woodward Drive. The tornado passed across Interstate 69 depositing debris on portions of the Interstate, causing brief lane closures. The damage was consistent with an EF1 with winds of around 90 mph.
A tornado quickly developed almost directly over a storage facility on the east side of Colon in St. Joseph county. Garage doors were blown in and then a significant loss of roof decking and metal covering occurred. This wood and metal debris was lofted, twisted, and deposited both to the east and north up to 200 yards away in nearby fields. The tornado crossed into Branch county with sporadic tree damage noted on Ambs Road, South Culver Road, and Jackson Road, where large branches were down, trees uprooted, or trees were snapped several feet off the ground. The tornado topped a number of trees within a tree grove east of Jackson Road, but south of Wattles |Road before dissipating. The tornado was on the ground for 0.9 miles in St Joseph county and 2.0 miles in Branch county for a total of 2.9 miles in length.
Context
Risk, population and federal disasters
Relatively Low
FEMA NRI risk rating
45,300
Population (ACS)
$163K
Median home value
6
Federal declarations
| Declared | Incident | Title | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 27, 2020 | Biological | COVID-19 PANDEMIC | DR |
| Mar 13, 2020 | Biological | COVID-19 | EM |
| Sep 7, 2005 | Hurricane | HURRICANE KATRINA EVACUATION | EM |
| Jan 10, 2001 | Snowstorm | SNOW | EM |
| Jan 27, 1978 | Snowstorm | BLIZZARDS & SNOWSTORMS | EM |
| Apr 14, 1965 | Tornado | TORNADOES & SEVERE STORMS | DR |
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many severe weather events have been recorded in Branch County, Michigan?
329 events are on record between 1954 and 2026, causing 22 direct deaths and $255.0M in property damage.
What is the most common severe weather hazard in Branch County?
Thunderstorm Wind, with 233 recorded events — 70.8% of everything in the archive for this county.
How many tornadoes have crossed Branch County?
22 mapped tornado paths intersect the county boundary; 17 of them touched down inside it. This is derived from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
How many federal disaster declarations cover Branch County?
6 federal disaster declarations from FEMA include Branch County, each tied to a specific incident period.
How risky is Branch County compared with the rest of the country?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Branch County as relatively low risk, placing it in the 52 percentile of its state for expected annual loss.
Where does the Branch County, Michigan severe weather history data come from?
Every figure is drawn from United States federal public-domain records: NOAA/NCEI Storm Events for the event archive, NOAA SPC SVRGIS for mapped tornado paths, FEMA for disaster declarations and risk ratings, and the U.S. Census for population context. Dates are shown in UTC and recent entries may still be revised by NOAA.
Nearby
Neighbouring counties
- Berrien County 505
- Calhoun County 390
- Benzie County 62
- Cass County 306
- Bay County 290
- Charlevoix County 81
Cite this page
“Branch County, Michigan.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/michigan/branch-county/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.