Michigan Shatters Tornado Records: 2025 Joins Top 10 Active Years with 27 Confirmed Twisters

It's been an active severe weather season this year.

27 tornadoes have been confirmed in the state, with 19 right here in West Michigan. This officially ranks 2025 as one of the top 10 most active years for tornadoes in Michigan since 1950.

In 1974, Michigan experienced its highest number of recorded tornadoes, totaling 39 twisters.

This year, 2025, is tied with 1986, 1988, and 2010 with 27 confirmed tornadoes.

The year is not over yet and this number could, and likely, continue to rise.

A meteorologist at the National Weather Service says these numbers can be deceiving.

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The documentation of verified tornadoes dates back many years; however, technological advancements have considerably transformed this tracking process over the decades.

T.J. Turnage, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service, mentioned that the radar can distinguish between so-called meteorological targets—such as rainfall and hail—and non-meteorological items like debris, leaves, branches, and pieces of structures.

Meteorologists utilize this instrument on radar as a method to determine whether there is probably a tornado touching the ground.

Not only does this aid in delivering a warning, but it also provides an precise spot to come back to once the storm has passed for assessing damages.

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There are numerous distinct methods of observing things, not solely through radar technology, but due to all the monitoring systems currently available,” Turnage stated. “Indeed, there’s considerable curiosity as well. Many more individuals are venturing out to chase storms and search for damages.

Turnage indicates that tornado confirmations often rely solely on storm reports submitted by the general public.

On numerous occasions, the report includes footage from mobile phones or security cameras.

We had a doorbell camera capture footage of a tiny tornado moving through the neighborhood in a suburban area," Turnage stated. "Two decades back, we likely wouldn’t have been aware of this occurrence.

The technological advancements of our current era enable the National Weather Service to more easily verify tornado occurrences.

If not for this, the tornado might have gone unnoticed.

These intricate patterns have likely always existed," Turnage stated. "It’s just that we didn’t have the means to truly identify them, locate them, and observe them until now.

Although this year marks one of Michigan's highest counts of recorded tornadoes in history, it's crucial to take into account how technological improvements might influence these statistics.

Turnage suggests focusing on major occurrences since minor ones might have gone unnoticed historically.

This year, all the tornadoes in our state have fallen at the lower end of the Enhanced Fujita scale, receiving ratings of either EF-1 or EF-0.

Although numerous tornadoes have been reported in Michigan this year, they haven't been major ones.

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