Portage, MI Tornado History — 74 Tornadoes Since 1950
How many tornadoes has Portage, MI had?
Portage has had 74 tornadoes on record within 25 miles since 1950, including 6 strong to violent (EF3+) tornadoes.
When was the most recent tornado near Portage?
The most recent tornado within 25 miles of Portage was an EF1 on May 15, 2025.
When is tornado season in Portage?
May is historically the peak month for tornadoes near Portage, with 24 on record. April through June account for 40 of the 74 tornadoes on record near Portage.
At a Glance
Recent Tornado Activity Near Portage
The last 20 years of confirmed tornadoes within 25 miles — 20 total, averaging 1.0 per year over this window.
Preliminary tornado reports near Portage since December 29, 2025
These are 5 preliminary reports, not confirmed tornadoes. They have not yet been through an NWS damage survey, and are not counted in the confirmed totals above.
Preliminary reports are revised, merged, and sometimes withdrawn — historically about 23% are consolidated downward once surveys complete. Ratings are omitted until a survey assigns one.
Confirmed records above are complete through December 29, 2025. NOAA publishes the confirmed archive annually, so tornadoes after that date appear here first and move into the totals above once finalized.
This EF-1 tornado had maximum estimated winds of 100 mph and a path of around 16 miles. It touched down north of Otsego and traveled east until Hickory Corners. This to (GRR)
Storm chaser video confirmed tornado near Union City. Location estimated based on radar. (IWX)
Numerous reports of significant damage on the southwest side of Three Rivers. Storm chasers and Emergency Management confirmed multiple tornado touchdowns prior to the (IWX)
*** 3 FATAL... 12 INJ *** The most intense and deadly tornado of the cyclic tornadic supercell touched down in northwest Branch county... northwest of Union Lake betwee (IWX)
*** 10 INJ *** Another tornado from the same supercell that produced the Edwardsburg tornado touched down near Stoldt Rd and Coon Hollow Rd southwest of Three Rivers. T (IWX)
Within 25 miles of Portage. Quoted text is the report narrative exactly as filed. Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center preliminary storm reports, updated daily.
What storm spotters reported near Portage
3 local storm reports have been filed within 25 miles of Portage and since confirmed into the NOAA archive, the earliest on May 15, 2025 and the most recent on May 15, 2025. They are already counted in the Portage totals above; quoted below is the narrative each reporting office filed at the time.
The EF0 tornado resulted in mostly tree damage along its 8.5 mile path. It began just west of Saint Marys Lake and traveled just south of the lake and remained very clo (GRR)
The EF0 tornado resulted in mainly tree damage along its 10 mile path. More concentrated tree damage occurred near the beginning and the end of the path with intermitte (GRR)
This EF-1 tornado with estimated top winds of 95 MPH developed near the intersection of 114th Ave and N 16th Street where a power pole was pushed over. The developing t (GRR)
Source: National Weather Service and trained-spotter local storm reports, relayed by the NOAA Storm Prediction Center.
Tornadoes by Decade
Tornadoes by Enhanced Fujita Rating
F0–F5 ratings (pre-2007) are grouped with their EF equivalents. The Enhanced Fujita scale replaced the original Fujita scale in February 2007.
Tornadoes by Month
Casualties on Record Near Portage
6 fatalities have been recorded within 25 miles of Portage since 1950, across 2 events. 162 injuries have been reported across all events. 1980 was the deadliest year on record near Portage.
The deadliest single event was an F3 on May 13, 1980, which caused 5 fatalities along a 10.6-mile track.
Notable Tornadoes Near Portage
What the record shows near Portage
The 1970s were the busiest decade near Portage, with 13 of the 74 confirmed tornadoes within 25 miles; the 2020s have produced 9 so far. The Portage record runs from the 1950s to today.
Of the tornadoes rated near Portage, 54 reached EF0 or EF1 and 20 reached EF2 or stronger. The most intense on record near Portage is rated EF4, of which 1 is logged.
Across the last 20 years Portage has averaged 1.0 confirmed tornadoes a year within 25 miles, 20 in total. 2024 was the busiest of them with 5, and 11 of those years passed with none at all.