225
Recorded events
1
Direct deaths
1
Direct injuries
$11.5M
Property damage
Thunderstorm Wind in Kalamazoo County, Michigan: 225 recorded events between 1956 and 2026. The strongest on record measured 85. That places the county #845 nationally and #20 statewide for this hazard.
Decade by decade
Thunderstorm Wind in Kalamazoo County, Michigan: events per decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
The busiest decade for thunderstorm wind in Kalamazoo County is the 2000s, when 54 of the county's 225 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 Kalamazoo County archive, thunderstorm wind makes up 61.3% of all recorded severe weather across 7 hazard types. Nationally the county sits at #845 for this hazard and #20 within Michigan, putting it in the 73.1 percentile of all U.S. counties.
Seasonality
Events by month
Jun is the peak month for thunderstorm wind in Kalamazoo County with 55 recorded events, while Feb 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.
Significant events
Deadliest on record
| Date | Location | Scale | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 21, 1987 | 0 | 1 | 0 | $0 | |
| May 19, 1997 | KALAMAZOO | 0 | 0 | 1 | $500K |
Most recent
Latest recorded events
| Date | Location | Magnitude | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 16, 2026 | KALAMAZOO | 52 | $0 |
| Jun 24, 2025 | JUG CORNERS | 52 | $0 |
| Jun 24, 2025 | MILWOOD | 52 | $0 |
| May 16, 2025 | HOWLANDSBURG | 52 | $0 |
| May 16, 2025 | (AZO)KALAMAZOO ARPT | 57 | $0 |
| May 16, 2025 | CARPENTERS CORNERS | 52 | $0 |
| May 16, 2025 | GALESBURG | 52 | $0 |
| May 16, 2025 | MILLER CORNER | 52 | $0 |
| May 16, 2025 | OAKWOOD | 52 | $0 |
| May 16, 2025 | COMSTOCK | 65 | $0 |
Other hazards here
More from Kalamazoo County
- Hail 100
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
The areas most impacted by the bowing segment of the line echo wave pattern fell within Brady and Wakeshma Townships along and south of E W Avenue between 33rd and 47th Streets. Hundreds of trees were either uprooted or snapped, with some snapped 15-20 feet above the ground. Additionally, some structures were damaged with this storm. A grain silo on the corner of E W Avenue and S 40th Street collapsed, and nearly a dozen farm buildings sustained significant roof damage. The damage path was approximately 8 miles long and 3 miles wide.
A bow echo raced east across Kalamazoo county during the late morning hours, bringing down numerous trees and power lines. A trained spotter reported a measured wind gust of 71 mph in Schoolcraft. The public report lots of tree damage in and near Portage. Radar data suggests that downed trees were likely countywide.
The public reported that numerous power lines and trees were blown down in Milwood and fairly extensive wind damage was reported across portions of Kalamazoo county. A 59 mph wind gust was measured at Kalamazoo airport.
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many thunderstorm wind events are on record in Kalamazoo County, Michigan?
225 thunderstorm wind events are recorded in Kalamazoo County between 1956 and 2026, causing 1 direct deaths.
What is the strongest thunderstorm wind recorded in Kalamazoo County?
The strongest thunderstorm wind on record in Kalamazoo County measured 85.
Where does the thunderstorm wind data for Kalamazoo 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
“Thunderstorm Wind in Kalamazoo County, Michigan.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/michigan/kalamazoo-county/thunderstorm-wind/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.