Kent County, Michigan
Tornadoes, hail, floods and severe storms recorded here between 1956 and 2026, from NOAA's Storm Events Database. Search an address to see which tornadoes came closest to it.
45
Tornado reports
142
Hail reports
29
Floods since 1996
654
All events
16
Deaths
$180.9M
Property damage
Tornado paths in Kent County
The part of each tornado’s path NOAA recorded in this county, 45 in all. Zoom in and the paths widen to their surveyed width.
EF0EF1EF2EF3EF4EF5Unrated
Year by year
All storm eventsTornadoes
NOAA's storm database records tornadoes back to 1950 and hail and thunderstorm wind back to 1955, but floods only from 1996 on. Older floods are missing here. For those, the U.S. Geological Survey's stream gauge records and flood reports are the place to look.
Most significant events
The strongest tornadoes, deadliest events and biggest damage here, up to 50.
Tornado F4 Tornado
Numerous trees, tree limbs and power lines were blown down. A woman and two girls were also killed near Cedar Springs when the vehicle they were traveling in lost control in a heavy downpour and hydroplaning accident.
Numerous large trees were snapped off or uprooted and there were numerous power outages, mostly in a more concentrated damage path just northwest to north and northeast of downtown Grand Rapids from Walker Avenue east to Fish Ladder Park and Lookout Park. One fatality occurred ju…
Radar data indicates the northern end of a strong bow echo moved east into southwestern Kent county at 10:45 a.m. and raced east northeast producing significant wind damage and exited far east central Kent county near Lowell at around 11:10 a.m. Numerous trees and power lines wer…
Gusty thunderstorm winds flattened a house under construction in Wyoming in Kent County, causing one fatality and injuring another person. A 70 mile per hour wind gust was recorded in Grandville. Numerous trees were downed across the county. A 75 mile per hour wind gust was recor…
An NWS storm survey determined that an EF1 tornado developed rapidly near 64th Street and Burlingame Avenue in Byron Center and tracked northeast for 6.25 miles through Wyoming and Kentwood. The tornado, on the ground for about 10 minutes, produced significant damage with estimat…
Michigan State Police EMD's Damage and Injury Assessment Report indicated $4,336,751 in public damage costs, 53 injuries, 63 homes destroyed, 1196 homes damaged, 15 businesses destroyed, and 173 businesses damaged in Kent County, excluding the City of Grand Rapids (see separate G…
A tornado began east of Peach Ridge Avenue and north of 6 Mile Road and moved east northeast for almost 9 miles, ending just west of Rockford High School. Hundreds of trees were snapped or uprooted. Structural damage was done to buildings in the 5600 block of Alpine Avenue and to…
There were numerous reports of damage to homes as a result of fallen trees and tree limbs. Many power lines were also downed.
Downed tree limbs and power lines and widespread power outages occurred due to wind gusts of up to around 60 mph.
Up to three quarters of an inch of freezing rain resulted in numerous downed trees, limbs, power lines and widespread power outages.
A 64 mph peak wind gust was measured at the Gerald Ford airport in Grand Rapids. Peak wind gusts in the 60 to 70 mph range resulted in numerous downed trees and limbs and power lines and widespread power outages.
Hail up to 1.5 inches in diameter fell in a one mile wide swath from Jamestown in extreme northeast Ottawa County through Kentwood and East Grand Rapids. The swath continued northeast towards Belding in northwest Ionia County. The swath was estimated based on the correlation of m…
Hail up to 1.5 inches in diameter fell in a half mile wide swath beginning southwest of Cutlerville and continuing northeast through Ada. Some of the largest hail was observed at the Grand Rapids Weather Forecast Office. The swath was estimated based on the correlation of multipl…
Hail Hail
Hail Hail
Tornado EF0 Tornado
This EF-0 tornado had maximum estimated winds of 85 mph and a path of around 4.25 miles. Tornado damage began near and north of 100th Street just east of the Thornapple River near Alaska Ave SE. Spotty tree damage occurred between Alaska Ave SE and Whitneyville Ave SE before the …
Thunderstorm Wind Thunderstorm Wind
Tree on roadway, power lines down.
Thunderstorm Wind Thunderstorm Wind
Numerous trees down.
Thunderstorm Wind Thunderstorm Wind
Trees and wires down throughout Southeast and southwest Grand Rapids.
Thunderstorm Wind Thunderstorm Wind
Multiple reports of downed wires across Grand Rapids.
Thunderstorm Wind Thunderstorm Wind
Uprooted trees.
Thunderstorm Wind Thunderstorm Wind
Trees down.
Thunderstorm Wind Thunderstorm Wind
County dispatch reports numerous trees and wires down across the county.
Thunderstorm Wind Thunderstorm Wind
Two trees down by 11 Mile Rd and Young Ave.
Thunderstorm Wind Thunderstorm Wind
Large tree down.
Thunderstorm Wind Thunderstorm Wind
Gerald R Ford International Airport measured gust.
Thunderstorm Wind Thunderstorm Wind
Recorded gust.
Thunderstorm Wind Thunderstorm Wind
Gust measured at the Gerald Ford International Airport.
Thunderstorm Wind Thunderstorm Wind
Estimated wind gust.
Thunderstorm Wind Thunderstorm Wind
Estimated wind gust.
Thunderstorm Wind Thunderstorm Wind
Wind knocked a tree down on a house in the Alto area.
Thunderstorm Wind Thunderstorm Wind
A surge of thunderstorm winds occurred from the Grand Rapids airport southeast through the Whitneyville area, where a large tree fell on a house, doing extensive damage. Time estimated from radar and the Grand Rapids ASOS, where a peak wind gust of 81 mph was measured. Tree damag…
Hail Hail
Thunderstorm Wind Thunderstorm Wind
A few shallow trees were uprooted and power outages affected the Byron Center area.
Hail Hail
Hail Hail
Flash Flood Flash Flood
Up to a foot of water across I-196. Multiple vehicles stranded at exit 76.
Flood Flood
Intersection of Byron Center and Floyd flooded.
Flood Flood
Standing water on the road in Front Home at Bel-Air and Kent Blvd.
Winter Storm Winter Storm
Snow of 8 to 14 inches fell in the western half of Kent County. This fell in combined with wind gusts over 45 mph. Remainder of the county saw between 4 and 10 inches of snow.
Winter Storm Winter Storm
Between 6 and 12 inches of snow fell countywide. Travel was significantly impacted.
Thunderstorm Wind Thunderstorm Wind
Several reports of trees and wires down in Kent County.
Thunderstorm Wind Thunderstorm Wind
Trees down near 15 mile road.
Events by year, as a table
| Year | Events | Tornadoes |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 27 | 1 |
| 2025 | 19 | 5 |
| 2024 | 13 | 0 |
| 2023 | 12 | 1 |
| 2022 | 8 | 0 |
| 2021 | 9 | 2 |
| 2020 | 10 | 0 |
| 2019 | 13 | 1 |
| 2018 | 4 | 0 |
| 2017 | 3 | 1 |
| 2016 | 13 | 2 |
| 2015 | 10 | 1 |
| 2014 | 9 | 1 |
| 2013 | 9 | 0 |
| 2012 | 9 | 0 |
| 2011 | 23 | 0 |
| 2010 | 11 | 0 |
| 2009 | 5 | 0 |
| 2008 | 28 | 0 |
| 2007 | 28 | 0 |
| 2006 | 15 | 1 |
| 2005 | 17 | 0 |
| 2004 | 16 | 0 |
| 2003 | 12 | 0 |
| 2002 | 10 | 1 |
| 2001 | 22 | 4 |
| 2000 | 16 | 0 |
| 1999 | 26 | 0 |
| 1998 | 33 | 0 |
| 1997 | 30 | 0 |
| 1996 | 11 | 1 |
| 1995 | 2 | 0 |
| 1994 | 11 | 0 |
| 1993 | 13 | 0 |
| 1992 | 4 | 1 |
| 1991 | 12 | 1 |
| 1990 | 5 | 2 |
| 1989 | 5 | 2 |
| 1988 | 5 | 0 |
| 1987 | 9 | 1 |
| 1986 | 5 | 0 |
| 1985 | 5 | 0 |
| 1984 | 4 | 0 |
| 1983 | 6 | 0 |
| 1982 | 2 | 0 |
| 1981 | 4 | 0 |
| 1980 | 6 | 0 |
| 1979 | 3 | 1 |
| 1978 | 4 | 0 |
| 1976 | 4 | 2 |
| 1975 | 14 | 1 |
| 1974 | 4 | 0 |
| 1972 | 2 | 0 |
| 1971 | 3 | 0 |
| 1970 | 2 | 0 |
| 1969 | 4 | 1 |
| 1968 | 10 | 2 |
| 1967 | 5 | 2 |
| 1966 | 3 | 1 |
| 1965 | 6 | 2 |
| 1964 | 3 | 0 |
| 1963 | 1 | 0 |
| 1962 | 2 | 0 |
| 1961 | 5 | 1 |
| 1960 | 3 | 1 |
| 1959 | 1 | 0 |
| 1958 | 1 | 0 |
| 1956 | 5 | 2 |
Search your address
See every tornado that passed within 25 miles of a place in Kent County, measured to its path.
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