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Michigan · County tornado history

Monroe County, Michigan tornadoes

NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center has recorded 40 tornadoes in Monroe County, Michigan from 1950 through 2024, about one every 1.9 years. That ranks it 2 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
40
Since 2000
13
Strongest
F4, April 11, 1965
Most recent
EF1, August 24, 2023
Peak month
June (11)
Per 1,000 sq mi
71
FEMA tornado risk
Relatively Moderate

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 Monroe County

June has brought the most, 11 of 40. About 65% touched down between 3 pm and 9 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) 12
F1 / EF1 Moderate: 86 to 110 mph 15
F2 / EF2 Considerable: 111 to 135 mph 7
F3 / EF3 Severe: 136 to 165 mph 2
F4 / EF4 Devastating: 166 to 200 mph 4
F5 / EF5 Incredible: over 200 mph 0

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 Monroe County

Date Rating Path length Path width Deaths Injuries
April 11, 1965 F4 90.3 mi 1,760 yd 23 294
April 11, 1965 F4 80.5 mi 10 yd 21 293
April 11, 1965 F4 5.6 mi 200 yd 18 236
June 8, 1953 F4 (the Flint (Beecher) tornado) 5.4 mi 200 yd 4 18
April 3, 1974 F3 0.3 mi 30 yd 3
April 17, 1963 F3 0.5 mi 67 yd 1
June 6, 2010 EF2 13 mi 800 yd 11
June 26, 1973 F2 0.7 mi 67 yd 2
May 8, 1964 F2 3.3 mi 400 yd 1
March 26, 1968 F2 7.7 mi 20 yd

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

The deadliest

The deadliest tornado to touch Monroe County was an F4 on April 11, 1965. It killed 23 people and injured 294 along its 90.3-mile path.

Most recent tornadoes

Date Rating Path length Path width Deaths Injuries
August 24, 2023 EF1 5.4 mi 200 yd
August 24, 2023 EF1 4.9 mi 200 yd
June 15, 2023 EF1 4.8 mi 400 yd
April 1, 2023 EF0 7.1 mi 75 yd
September 25, 2018 EF0 4.1 mi 250 yd
September 25, 2018 EF1 4.3 mi 520 yd
August 28, 2016 EF0 0.1 mi 25 yd
March 15, 2012 EF0 0.6 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 Monroe County as relatively moderate, with a score of 89 out of 100 compared with every other U.S. county. It estimates about 0.31 tornadoes a year here and an expected annual loss of about $7,571,928 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 Monroe County had?

40 from 1950 through 2024 in NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center database, 13 of them since 2000.

When was the last tornado in Monroe 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 Monroe County?

An F4 on April 11, 1965, with a 90.3-mile path.

When is tornado season in Monroe County?

June 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.