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Hillsdale County, Michigan severe weather history spans 328 recorded events between 1958 and 2025. The dominant hazard is thunderstorm wind, accounting for 71.0% of all recorded events. It ranks #1,619 nationally and #22 in Michigan.
328
Recorded events
9
Direct deaths
138
Direct injuries
$57.2M
Property damage
The record
What the Hillsdale County, Michigan severe weather history record shows
Across the archive, Hillsdale County, Michigan severe weather history averages 4.9 recorded events a year. The busiest stretch on record is the 2000s, with 110 events logged in that decade alone. Roughly 69 events fall before 1990 and 259 from 1990 onward — a gap that reflects the expansion of NOAA reporting practice as much as the weather itself.
The deadliest hazard in the Hillsdale County, Michigan record is tornado, responsible for 8 direct deaths. The costliest is tornado, with $54.3M in reported property damage. In total, 5 distinct hazard types appear in this county archive, each listed with its own dated record below.
By hazard type
Every hazard type recorded in Hillsdale County
| Hazard | Events | Deaths | Damage | Max | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thunderstorm Wind | 233 | 0 | $703K | 78 | 1960–2025 |
| Hail | 62 | 0 | $2.0M | 4 | 1973–2024 |
| Tornado | 26 | 8 | $54.3M | F4 | 1958–2024 |
| Flash Flood | 6 | 0 | $150K | 0 | 1996–2013 |
| Lightning | 1 | 1 | $0 | 0 | 2001–2001 |
Decade by decade
Hillsdale County, Michigan severe weather history by decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
Tornado tracks
Paths crossing this county
29 mapped tornado paths intersect this county: 25 touched down inside it and 4 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 | Crossed in |
| 1991-03-27 | EF3 | 1 | 24 | 21.0 mi | Crossed in |
| 1991-03-27 | EF3 | 0 | 0 | 5.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 1974-04-03 | EF2 | 2 | 31 | 19.3 mi | Touched down here |
| 1984-09-25 | EF2 | 0 | 2 | 2.1 mi | Touched down here |
| 1977-07-18 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 4.7 mi | Touched down here |
| 1976-03-12 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 0.1 mi | Touched down here |
| 1976-03-12 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 3.6 mi | Touched down here |
| 1974-04-03 | EF2 | 0 | 5 | 9.9 mi | Touched down here |
Significant events
Deadliest events on record in Hillsdale County
| Date | Type | Location | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 12, 1965 | Tornado | 3 | 47 | $0 | |
| Apr 12, 1965 | Tornado | 3 | 47 | $25.0M | |
| Apr 4, 1974 | Tornado | 2 | 31 | $2.5M | |
| Jul 21, 2001 | Lightning | HILLSDALE | 1 | 0 | $0 |
| Apr 4, 1974 | Tornado | 0 | 5 | $0 | |
| Sep 25, 1984 | Tornado | 0 | 2 | $250K | |
| Apr 4, 1974 | Tornado | 0 | 2 | $25K | |
| Jul 4, 2003 | Thunderstorm Wind | SOMERSET CENTER | 0 | 1 | $0 |
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
A two mile long swath of straight line wind damage was noted from roughly one half mile northwest of Moscow to 2 miles northeast of Moscow. The majority of the damage occurred to groves of trees that were snapped or uprooted. A century old barn was severely damaged after being impacted by the high winds and pushed off its elevated foundation. Additional evidence was found of a weak tornado within this swath that is noted separately. Maximum wind speeds are estimated to have reached at least 90 mph.
Hillsdale County officials reported trees and power lines were downed by straight-line thunderstorm winds across Allen, Adams, and Wheatland townships. Four barns were destroyed at 3120 East Bacon Road in Hillsdale and damage was done to the home at the same address. One woman sustained minor injuries when the trailer she was in parked on Meadow Lane tipped over.
Hillsdale County Emergency Operations reported trees and electrical wires downed 3 miles southeast of Hillsdale near Osseo and Pleasant Lake, in Jefferson Township. Power was cut for approximately 400 Consumers Energy customers.
Context
Risk, population and federal disasters
Relatively Low
FEMA NRI risk rating
45,654
Population (ACS)
$176K
Median home value
9
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 |
| Sep 23, 2003 | Other | POWER OUTAGE | EM |
| Jan 10, 2001 | Snowstorm | SNOW | EM |
| Jan 27, 1978 | Snowstorm | BLIZZARDS & SNOWSTORMS | EM |
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many severe weather events have been recorded in Hillsdale County, Michigan?
328 events are on record between 1958 and 2025, causing 9 direct deaths and $57.2M in property damage.
What is the most common severe weather hazard in Hillsdale County?
Thunderstorm Wind, with 233 recorded events — 71.0% of everything in the archive for this county.
How many tornadoes have crossed Hillsdale County?
29 mapped tornado paths intersect the county boundary; 25 of them touched down inside it. This is derived from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
How many federal disaster declarations cover Hillsdale County?
9 federal disaster declarations from FEMA include Hillsdale County, each tied to a specific incident period.
How risky is Hillsdale County compared with the rest of the country?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Hillsdale County as relatively low risk, placing it in the 50 percentile of its state for expected annual loss.
Where does the Hillsdale 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
- Gratiot County 159
- Houghton County 242
- Grand Traverse County 173
- Huron County 294
- Gogebic County 224
- Ingham County 311
Cite this page
“Hillsdale County, Michigan.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/michigan/hillsdale-county/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.