42
Recorded events
2
Direct deaths
188
Direct injuries
$126.0M
Property damage
Tornado in Wayne County, Michigan: 42 recorded events between 1953 and 2026. The strongest on record measured F4. That places the county #567 nationally and #3 statewide for this hazard.
Decade by decade
Tornado in Wayne County, Michigan: events per decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
The busiest decade for tornado in Wayne County is the 1970s, when 8 of the county's 42 recorded events were logged. Comparing decades is useful for spotting active periods, but the earliest years are thin because systematic reporting for this hazard began later.
Within the Wayne County archive, tornado makes up 4.6% of all recorded severe weather across 7 hazard types. Nationally the county sits at #567 for this hazard and #3 within Michigan, putting it in the 80.4 percentile of all U.S. counties.
Seasonality
Events by month
Aug is the peak month for tornado in Wayne County with 11 recorded events, while Jan is the quietest. Seasonality here is a property of the archive as much as the climate: reports cluster where population and spotter networks are densest.
Tornado tracks
Paths crossing this county
| Date | Scale | Path length | Max width | Origin |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1956-05-12 | EF4 | 6.8 mi | 400 yd | Touched down here |
| 1957-11-20 | EF3 | 1.5 mi | 100 yd | Touched down here |
| 1983-05-02 | EF3 | 23.0 mi | 200 yd | Touched down here |
| 1969-07-04 | EF3 | 13.9 mi | 100 yd | Crossed in |
| 2008-09-13 | EF2 | 2.7 mi | 200 yd | Touched down here |
| 1997-07-02 | EF2 | 5.0 mi | 2,500 yd | Touched down here |
| 1992-04-16 | EF2 | 2.0 mi | 50 yd | Touched down here |
| 1984-08-30 | EF2 | 5.6 mi | 150 yd | Touched down here |
| 1980-07-16 | EF2 | 1.3 mi | 10 yd | Touched down here |
| 1974-02-28 | EF2 | 0.1 mi | 50 yd | Touched down here |
Significant events
Deadliest on record
| Date | Location | Scale | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nov 20, 1957 | F3 | 1 | 12 | $250K | |
| Jun 5, 2024 | PLYMOUTH | EF1 | 1 | 2 | $0 |
| Jul 2, 1997 | HIGHLAND PARK | F2 | 0 | 90 | $90.0M |
| Jul 4, 1969 | F3 | 0 | 50 | $2.5M | |
| May 12, 1956 | F4 | 0 | 22 | $250K | |
| Apr 16, 1992 | F2 | 0 | 4 | $2.5M | |
| Aug 30, 1984 | F2 | 0 | 4 | $2.5M | |
| Aug 2, 1986 | F1 | 0 | 3 | $0 |
Most recent
Latest recorded events
| Date | Location | Magnitude | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 15, 2026 | MELVINDALE | EF0 | $125K |
| Apr 4, 2026 | BELLEVILLE ARPT | EF0 | $75K |
| Jun 5, 2024 | PLYMOUTH | EF1 | $0 |
| Aug 25, 2023 | GIBRALTAR | EF1 | $50K |
| Aug 25, 2023 | ROCKWOOD | EF0 | $50K |
| Aug 25, 2023 | BELLEVILLE | EF1 | $60K |
| Aug 25, 2023 | CHERRY HILL | EF0 | $100K |
| Sep 26, 2018 | GIBRALTAR | EF1 | $500K |
| Sep 26, 2018 | ROCKWOOD | EF0 | $150K |
| Aug 1, 2018 | TAYLOR CENTER | EF0 | $50K |
Other hazards here
More from Wayne County
- Thunderstorm Wind 578
- Hail 219
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
The tornado touched down just east of the intersection of Schoolcraft Rd and Eckles Rd and traveled northeast into Mason Rd, just north of I-96. The tornado continued into the intersection of Nola Rd and Lyndon Rd, uprooting large trees, snapping off large tree limbs, and producing some damage to residential housing. The tornado then traveled across Newburgh Rd into Levan Rd near the 5-mile intersection, close to the intersection of Ellen Dr. and 5-mile, where mainly tree damage was found. The tornado continued to travel northeast into Farmington and 6-mile, uprooting trees around this location. The tornado continued through Rotary Park where large trees and tree limbs were sheared off, and then moved into Beverly Park, where the damage was mainly sporadic downed tree limbs. The tornado lifted just southwest of 7 mile and Middlebelt Rd. Maximum wind speeds with this tornado were estimated to be up to 95 mph.
An EF1 tornado began just to the west of W Jefferson Ave and south of Gibraltar Road. The tornado remained at EF1 strength up to the Navarre Street and Young Drive area, before weakening to EF0 strength for the remainder of the path. The tornado then crossed the Detroit River before dissipating at the north end of Elba Island in Grosse Ile Township. Damage included multiple large limbs and trees downed, a roof partially blown off and power lines downed.
An NWS damage survey determined that a tornado touched down in a neighborhood just southwest of the intersection of Warren and North Lilley Roads in Canton. Several pine trees were knocked down along with other large tree limbs. EF-1 damage was then found at a light industrial complex on the southwest side of the Canton Airport where multiple buildings and vehicles were damaged. Additional EF-0 damage was found near the intersection of Joy and Haggerty roads were a metal roof was taken off a gas station and more trees were damaged. The tornado then lifted near Haggerty Road and Newport Drive.
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many tornado events are on record in Wayne County, Michigan?
42 tornado events are recorded in Wayne County between 1953 and 2026, causing 2 direct deaths.
What is the strongest tornado recorded in Wayne County?
The strongest tornado on record in Wayne County measured F4.
Where does the tornado data for Wayne County come from?
All events come from the NOAA/NCEI Storm Events Database, the federal public-domain archive of severe weather reports. Dates are UTC, damage is as reported and not inflation-adjusted, and the most recent entries may still be revised.
Cite this page
“Tornado in Wayne County, Michigan.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/michigan/wayne-county/tornado/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.