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Michigan · County tornado history

Kent County, Michigan tornadoes

NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center has recorded 39 tornadoes in Kent County, Michigan from 1950 through 2024, about one every 1.9 years. That ranks it 3 of 83 counties in Michigan with a recorded tornado. The most recent was an EF1 on August 24, 2023.

By Twisters.us · Updated · How we count

Tornadoes since 1950
39
Since 2000
15
Strongest
F5, April 3, 1956
Most recent
EF1, August 24, 2023
Peak month
April (9)
Per 1,000 sq mi
45
FEMA tornado risk
Relatively High

F0/EF0 1 2 3 4 5 · Lines run from where each tornado touched down to where it lifted; dots are short paths. Neighboring counties are outlined.

When tornadoes hit Kent County

April has brought the most, 9 of 39. About 64% touched down between 12 pm and 6 pm (Central Standard Time, as the Storm Prediction Center records it).

By decade

More tornadoes in recent decades mostly reflects better detection and reporting (Doppler radar, storm spotters, damage surveys), especially for weak EF0 tornadoes, not necessarily more storms. The 2020s bar covers only 2020 to 2024.

How strong they were

Rating Estimated 3-second gust Tornadoes
F0 / EF0 Light damage: 65 to 85 mph (EF scale) 13
F1 / EF1 Moderate: 86 to 110 mph 17
F2 / EF2 Considerable: 111 to 135 mph 5
F3 / EF3 Severe: 136 to 165 mph 2
F4 / EF4 Devastating: 166 to 200 mph 1
F5 / EF5 Incredible: over 200 mph 1

Tornadoes before February 2007 were rated on the original Fujita (F) scale; since then the National Weather Service uses the Enhanced Fujita (EF) scale. Wind speeds above are EF-scale estimates from damage, not measurements. See what the EF scale means.

The strongest tornadoes in Kent County

Date Rating Path length Path width Deaths Injuries
April 3, 1956 F5 58.8 mi 400 yd 17 292
April 11, 1965 F4 20.6 mi 300 yd 5 142
April 21, 1967 F3 13.6 mi 400 yd 32
April 3, 1956 F3 60.6 mi 200 yd 12
September 22, 1961 F2 2.7 mi 2,000 yd 1
September 9, 1968 F2 1 mi 33 yd 1
May 20, 1975 F2 2.3 mi 10 yd 1
April 21, 1967 F2 0.3 mi 27 yd
August 5, 1968 F2 52.7 mi 50 yd
July 6, 2014 EF1 6.2 mi 400 yd 6

Deaths and injuries are for each tornado’s whole path, which can cross other counties.

The deadliest

The deadliest tornado to touch Kent County was an F5 on April 3, 1956. It killed 17 people and injured 292 along its 58.8-mile path.

Most recent tornadoes

Date Rating Path length Path width Deaths Injuries
August 24, 2023 EF1 8.7 mi 100 yd
June 26, 2021 EF0 0.6 mi 50 yd
April 10, 2021 EF0 0.6 mi 65 yd
September 11, 2019 EF0 0.1 mi 25 yd
April 10, 2017 EF1 5.3 mi 220 yd
August 20, 2016 EF0 0.9 mi 50 yd
August 20, 2016 EF0 4.2 mi 75 yd
July 13, 2015 EF0 0.8 mi 50 yd

The official database ends with 2024. For storms since then, see the Storm Prediction Center’s reports and your local National Weather Service office.

FEMA’s tornado risk rating

FEMA’s National Risk Index rates the tornado risk in Kent County as relatively high, with a score of 98 out of 100 compared with every other U.S. county. It estimates about 0.30 tornadoes a year here and an expected annual loss of about $27,886,387 to buildings, people and farming. The index mixes how often tornadoes strike with what is exposed and how well a community can recover, so a busy rural county can rate lower than a less active city.

Neighboring counties

Staying safe

When a tornado warning is issued, act at once. Go to a basement, storm shelter or safe room. With none, use a small windowless room on the lowest floor, as far from outside walls as you can, and cover your head and neck. Mobile homes and cars are not safe places to ride out a tornado: leave early for a sturdy building or shelter. Read the full tornado safety guide and the National Weather Service advice linked below.

Sources

Sources last checked 1 November 2026.

Frequently asked questions

How many tornadoes has Kent County had?

39 from 1950 through 2024 in NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center database, 15 of them since 2000.

When was the last tornado in Kent County?

The most recent in the official record was an EF1 on August 24, 2023. Later storms are not yet in the final database.

What was the strongest tornado in Kent County?

An F5 on April 3, 1956, with a 58.8-mile path.

When is tornado season in Kent County?

April has had the most tornadoes here. Across the U.S. the peak runs from spring into early summer, and the South also sees tornadoes in late fall and winter.