Berrien County, Michigan
County storm and disaster record · FIPS 26021 · population 154,234 · 568 sq mi
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 746 records for Berrien County, Michigan from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 482 days; the most frequent are severe thunderstorm wind events (333 records). The deadliest single record is the July 30, 2020 rip current, filed for the forecast zone Berrien, which covers the county: 3 deaths and 5 injuries. FEMA has issued 12 declarations naming the county since 1972, 10 of them for natural hazards; the latest for a natural hazard was “Hurricane Katrina Evacuation” on September 7, 2005.
The record, 1950 to 2026
Storm records filed for the county each year (2026 to June 30, 2026). Before 1996 NOAA recorded only tornadoes (from 1950), thunderstorm wind and hail (from 1955).
- recorded, no damage figure
- under $100,000
- $100,000 or more
- $1 million or more
- $10 million or more, or a death
- $100 million or more, or 10 deaths
- a year's colour: its recorded damage or deaths
- a year with a death
- 1955: wind and hail recorded from 1955
- 1996: all 48 event types from 1996
- Storm records
- 746on 482 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 2360 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $53Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- Tornadoes
- 32strongest EF2
- FEMA declarations
- 12latest 2020
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records through June 30, 2026 (file revision 20260918); damage converted to 2025 dollars with the BLS CPI-U. Search the record at NCEI. BLS consumer price index.
What hazards hit Berrien County most?
The most frequent records are severe thunderstorm wind events: 333 since 1955. 48% of its severe thunderstorm wind events since 1955 fell in June and July. The rank column places the county among Michigan's counties by days with a record per 1,000 square miles of land over each hazard's complete period.
| Hazard | Records | Days | First, last | Killed | Injured | Damage | Rank in state |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 333 | 195 | 1955-2026 | 2 | 15 | $1.8M | 6 of 83 |
| Winter storms | 181 | 160 | 1996-2026 | 1 | 0 | $71K | 17 of 83 |
| Hail | 109 | 67 | 1955-2026 | 0 | 0 | $2.4M | 8 of 83 |
| Floods | 37 | 29 | 1996-2026 | 0 | 0 | $24M | 4 of 83 |
| Tornadoes | 32 | 29 | 1956-2017 | 0 | 15 | $14M | 5 of 83 |
| Rip currents and high surf | 22 | 20 | 2001-2025 | 19 | 28 | – | 1 of 83 |
| High wind and dust storms | 20 | 20 | 1997-2026 | 1 | 1 | $13K | 20 of 83 |
| Extreme cold | 6 | 5 | 2012-2022 | 0 | 0 | $10M | 54 of 83 |
| Lightning | 3 | 3 | 2001-2006 | 0 | 1 | $1.4M | 25 of 83 |
| Heavy rain | 2 | 1 | 2021-2021 | 0 | 0 | – | 17 of 83 |
| Fog, smoke and funnel clouds | 1 | 1 | 1997-1997 | 0 | 0 | – | 44 of 83 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database (county and forecast-zone records attributed to the county; a zone record shows its own totals on each county it covers). Days: dates with at least one record of the hazard in the county. Ranks: days with a record per 1,000 square miles of land (Census Bureau 2024 Gazetteer), since 1950 for tornadoes, 1955 for hail and thunderstorm wind, 1996 for the rest.
How many tornadoes has Berrien County had?
NOAA records 32 tornadoes in Berrien County from 1956 to 2017, the strongest rated EF2, with 0 deaths and 15 injuries recorded in the county. That is 5th of 83 Michigan counties by days with tornadoes per 1,000 square miles since 1950. A tornado that crossed a county line is counted in each county it touched, with the length of its path inside the county.
Counted as whole tornadoes rather than county records, the Storm Prediction Center's database holds 33 tornadoes whose track touched Berrien County since 1950 (NOAA's county records number 32: they file a crossing tornado once per county segment, and the two databases differ on some tracks); along their whole tracks they killed 1 person, 0 of them in Berrien County.
| Date | Tornado | Rating | Path | Killed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2001-10-24 14:50, as SPC files it | VandaliaCrossed IN, MI | F3 | 47 mi | 1 |
Map of the strongest tornado tracks in Michigan.
Every tornado record filed for Berrien County (32)
| Date | Place | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017-02-28 | Niles, Berrien County | EF1 0.57 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2010-10-24 | Riverside, Berrien County | EF0 0.08 mi x 35 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2010-06-05 | Arden, Berrien County | EF1 1.44 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $135K |
| 2010-06-05 | Baroda, Berrien County | EF2 3.38 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 0 | $203K |
| 2007-04-26 | Berrien Spgs Airport, Berrien County | EF1 1.24 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $14K |
| 2004-07-21 | Buchanon, Berrien County | F0 0.1 mi x 15 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2001-10-24 | Niles, Berrien County | F1 3 mi x 440 yd | 0 | 0 | $1.3M |
| 1998-08-25 | Niles, Berrien County | F1 2 mi x 400 yd | 0 | 0 | $2.0M |
| 1988-07-16 | Berrien County | F0 2.1 mi x 33 yd | 0 | 0 | $250K step |
| 1987-09-21 | Berrien County | F0 0.2 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1981-06-20 | Berrien County | F2 1.5 mi x 500 yd | 0 | 0 | $250K step |
| 1980-06-06 | Berrien County | F1 | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1979-10-06 | Berrien County | F0 0.2 mi x 60 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1979-04-12 | Berrien County | F2 3.3 mi x 60 yd | 0 | 6 | $250K step |
| 1978-06-17 | Berrien County | F1 1 mi x 30 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1978-06-17 | Berrien County | F1 1 mi x 40 yd | 0 | 0 | $3K step |
| 1977-09-01 | Berrien County | F0 0.5 mi x 60 yd | 0 | 0 | $30 step |
| 1977-06-28 | Berrien County | F1 4.5 mi x 60 yd | 0 | 0 | $3K step |
| 1976-03-12 | Berrien County | F2 10.1 mi x 83 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1976-03-04 | Berrien County | F2 20 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 9 | $250K step |
| 1975-05-20 | Berrien County | F1 0.5 mi x 33 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1974-09-21 | Berrien County | F1 1.5 mi x 33 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1974-09-21 | Berrien County | F0 0.5 mi x 33 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1974-06-20 | Berrien County | F2 0.8 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1972-06-14 | Berrien County | F2 1.3 mi x 70 yd | 0 | 0 | $3K step |
| 1967-06-11 | Berrien County | F0 | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1967-04-21 | Berrien County | F2 1 mi x 27 yd | 0 | 0 | $250K step |
| 1961-03-04 | Berrien County | F2 6.5 mi x 440 yd | 0 | 0 | $250K step |
| 1960-06-16 | Berrien County | F2 | 0 | 0 | $3K step |
| 1958-05-31 | Berrien County | F0 8.8 mi x 33 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1957-06-22 | Berrien County | F1 10.7 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1956-06-26 | Berrien County | F2 0.1 mi x 17 yd | 0 | 0 | $250 step |
A damage figure marked "step" is a record from before 1993: NOAA then filed damage by category, and the figure is the category as entered, in the dollars of that year, not an estimate of the loss.
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, tornado records by county (path length in the county, maximum width); ratings as published: F scale before February 1, 2007, EF scale after. Whole-track figures: NOAA Storm Prediction Center tornado database (1950-2025). SPC severe weather database.
When was the last damaging storm in Berrien County?
The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the June 16, 2026 hail ($1,000 in damage in 2025 dollars).
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-06-16 | HailBaroda, Berrien County | 1.00 in hail | 0 | 0 | $1K |
| 2026-06-16 | HailBaroda, Berrien County | 1.00 in hail | 0 | 0 | $1K |
| 2026-06-10 | Thunderstorm WindRoss Airport Bntn, Berrien County | 55 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-05-18 | Thunderstorm WindRoss Airport Bntn, Berrien County | 55 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-05-18 | Thunderstorm WindNiles, Berrien County | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $500 |
| 2026-05-04 | HailBenton Harbor, Berrien County | 1.00 in hail | 0 | 0 | $1K |
| 2026-05-04 | HailStevensville, Berrien County | 1.00 in hail | 0 | 0 | $1K |
| 2026-04-27 | Strong WindBerrien County · forecast zone Southern Berrien County | 43 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $10K |
| 2026-04-17 | Thunderstorm WindWatervliet Airport, Berrien County | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $1K |
| 2026-04-04 | FloodColoma, Berrien County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-04-04 | FloodStevensville, Berrien County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-03-16 | Winter WeatherBerrien County · forecast zone Southern Berrien County | 0 | 0 | – |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database; every record of 2025-2026 is listed, earlier ones when they caused deaths, injuries or $250,000 of damage (2025 dollars), and every tornado.
The deadliest and costliest records
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020-07-30 | Rip CurrentBerrien County · forecast zone Berrien Drownings occurred at 3 beaches along the Berrien County shoreline during the evening hours of July 30th. At the New Buffalo City Beach, a 24-year-old male from Villa Ridge, Missouri went missing near the U.S. Corp of Engineers breakwall, while doing contract work in the area, police said. He was standing in shallow ... | 3 | 5 | – | |
| 2010-09-03 | Rip CurrentBerrien County · forecast zone Berrien Three gentlemen went into the water off a private beach near Bridgman with a small rubber raft. The swimmers became separated from the raft, but two managed to return to it. Witnesses observed a rip current take a 26 year old male out further into the water. Numerous agencies attempted to look for the gentleman, but ... | 1 | 4 | – | |
| 2006-07-04 | Rip CurrentBerrien County · forecast zone Berrien A favorable onshore flow across southeastern Lake Michigan, resulted in waves ranging from 2 to as much as 6 feet at times. This allowed for several occurrances of rip currents along the shores adjacent to Berrien County. While exact figures were not available, officials from Berrien county reported that at least 6 ... | 1 | 4 | – | |
| 1988-07-16 | Thunderstorm WindBerrien County | 1 | 4 | – | |
| 2013-07-27 | Rip CurrentBerrien County · forecast zone Berrien A 15 year old boy was roughly 100 feet offshore from a New Buffalo public beach when he was caught in a rip current. The rip current pulled him away from shore. Lifeguards quickly noticed the problem and were able to rescue the boy and perform CPR. He has transported to a local hospital and then airlifted to a Chicago ... | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 2012-08-05 | Rip CurrentBerrien County · forecast zone Berrien Local and Coast Guard officials reported a man drown while saving two children from the lake. Around 10:30 am, the 50 year old pediatric surgeon observed two young kayakers caught in the high waves and rip currents. He swam to them and was able to aid them. However, he was subsequently caught in the same conditions ... | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 2012-08-05 | Rip CurrentBerrien County · forecast zone Berrien Local officials reported the first of 2 rip current related drownings at Tiscornia Beach in St. Joseph when a swimmer became overcome by the high waves. The 41 year old male, from Illinois, was unconscious in 12 feet of water. Although attempts to revive him occurred, he passed away en route to the hospital. The beach ... | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 2012-06-19 | Rip CurrentBerrien County · forecast zone Berrien Southerly winds created two to four foot waves along the lake-shore areas of St. Joseph and Benton Harbor. A 26 year old male jumped off the south pier at Silver Beach into Lake Michigan. Eyewitnesses reported the man jumped into the water, yelled for help and went underwater. He was found about 90 minutes in roughly ... | 1 | 0 | – |
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012-04-12 | Frost/FreezeBerrien County · forecast zone Berrien | 0 | 0 | $10M | |
| 1996-05-09 | Flash FloodSouth Half, Berrien County | 0 | 0 | $10M | |
| 2018-02-20 | FloodMichiana Shrs, Berrien County | 0 | 0 | $9.9M | |
| 1997-07-02 | HailBerrien Spgs, Berrien County | 1.00 in hail | 0 | 0 | $2.2M |
| 1998-08-25 | TornadoNiles, Berrien County | F1 2 mi x 400 yd | 0 | 0 | $2.0M |
| 2021-08-10 | Flash FloodLivingston, Berrien County | 0 | 0 | $1.5M | |
| 2001-06-12 | LightningBenton Center, Berrien County | 0 | 0 | $1.3M | |
| 2008-09-13 | FloodJerry Tyler Meml Arp, Berrien County | 0 | 0 | $1.0M |
Before 1993 NOAA filed damage by category, not amount, so the list above starts in 1993. The highest category filed here before then (entered as $250K, in the dollars of the day) holds: March 4, 1976 (tornado, Berrien County); April 12, 1979 (tornado, Berrien County); March 4, 1961 (tornado, Berrien County).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database: deaths and injuries direct and indirect; damage is property plus crops as estimated by the National Weather Service, converted to 2025 dollars.
Is it getting more frequent?
Records per decade for Berrien County's most frequent hazards. Counts rose everywhere after 1996, when NOAA began recording every event type, so compare decades within a hazard's complete period only (the shaded cells come before it).
| Hazard | 1950s | 1960s | 1970s | 1980s | 1990s | 2000s | 2010s | 2020-26 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 2 | 3 | 19 | 42 | 41 | 71 | 70 | 85 |
| Winter storms | – | – | – | – | 19 | 50 | 58 | 54 |
| Hail | 3 | 3 | 5 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 37 | 16 |
| Floods | – | – | – | – | 14 | 6 | 3 | 14 |
| Tornadoes | 3 | 4 | 13 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 0 |
| Rip currents and high surf | – | – | – | – | 0 | 5 | 12 | 5 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records per calendar decade; zone records from the CZ_TYPE field (Z).
What time of year?
48% of its severe thunderstorm wind events since 1955 fell in June and July. The two busiest months are in violet.
The values, month by month
Jan 68 · Feb 49 · Mar 51 · Apr 44 · May 79 · Jun 118 · Jul 118 · Aug 88 · Sep 26 · Oct 29 · Nov 30 · Dec 46 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for Berrien County
FEMA's register lists 12 declarations that include Berrien County: 7 major disasters, 5 emergencies and 0 fire management assistance declarations. Most were for flood (5) and snowstorm (3).
| Declared | Number | Type | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020-03-27 | DR-4494 | Biological | Covid-19 Pandemic |
| 2020-03-13 | EM-3455 | Biological | Covid-19 |
| 2005-09-07 | EM-3225 | Hurricane | Hurricane Katrina Evacuation |
| 2004-06-30 | DR-1527 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding |
| 2001-01-10 | EM-3160 | Snowstorm | Snow |
| 1999-01-27 | EM-3137 | Snowstorm | Mi - Severe Weather 1/2 /99 |
| 1982-03-29 | DR-654 | Flood | Flooding |
| 1980-09-08 | DR-631 | Flood | Severe Storms & Flooding |
| 1978-01-27 | EM-3057 | Snowstorm | Blizzards & Snowstorms |
| 1975-04-26 | DR-465 | Flood | Severe Storms, High Winds & Flooding |
| 1973-04-12 | DR-371 | Flood | Severe Storms & Flooding |
| 1972-12-01 | DR-363 | Flood | Severe Storms & Flooding |
Source: FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries (v2), declarations through October 2, 2026; one declaration is counted once however many areas it names. OpenFEMA dataset page.
How many floods has Berrien County had?
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 37 flood or flash flood records for Berrien County from 1996 to 2026, on 29 days, with 0 deaths. By flood insurance claims since 1978 (OpenFEMA, as of September 8, 2026), Berrien County ranks 732nd of 2,942 U.S. counties.
| Storm | Began | Records | Deaths in the county |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hurricane Katrina | 2005-08-27 | 1 | 1 |
The National Flood Insurance Program has paid $4.4 million on 310 claims filed in Berrien County; the most in one year was 54 in 2018. Claims count insured losses only: uninsured flood damage is not in this file.
The values, year by year
1978: 3 · 1979: 31 · 1980: 6 · 1981: 14 · 1982: 37 · 1983: 10 · 1984: 7 · 1985: 42 · 1986: 7 · 1987: 1 · 1988: 9 · 1989: 2 · 1990: 7 · 1991: 6 · 1992: 1 · 1993: 6 · 1995: 1 · 1996: 5 · 1997: 4 · 1998: 4 · 2005: 1 · 2006: 1 · 2007: 2 · 2008: 17 · 2009: 5 · 2010: 2 · 2011: 2 · 2012: 1 · 2013: 1 · 2014: 1 · 2015: 1 · 2016: 3 · 2017: 2 · 2018: 54 · 2019: 8 · 2020: 2 · 2021: 1 · 2023: 2 · 2026: 1; the other years: 0.
Source: FEMA OpenFEMA NFIP Redacted Claims, as of September 8, 2026; claims by year of loss, payments in the dollars of the year paid. OpenFEMA dataset page.
FEMA's modeled risk for Berrien County
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Berrien County Relatively Moderate overall, with an expected annual loss of $45.1 million. These are FEMA's model estimates of future loss from 18 hazards, not a count of what happened; they can differ from the record above.
| Hazard | Risk rating | Expected annual loss | Modeled frequency |
|---|---|---|---|
| Strong Wind | Relatively High | $3.0M | 4.2 a year (modeled) |
| Hail | Relatively Moderate | $1.7M | 2.3 a year (modeled) |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Moderate | $6.3M | 2.3 a year (modeled) |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Moderate | $27M | about once a year (modeled) |
| Tornado | Relatively Moderate | $4.7M | about once a year (modeled) |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Moderate | $169K | 23 a year (modeled) |
| Lightning | Relatively Moderate | $345K | 38 a year (modeled) |
| Earthquake | Relatively Low | $897K | once in about 990 years (modeled) |
Source: FEMA National Risk Index, county table, December 2025 release. FEMA's National Risk Index map.
Counties that share a border with Berrien County
Source: U.S. Census Bureau county adjacency file; NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records since 1950. The Census Bureau's adjacency file.
Next
- Tornadoes in MichiganEvery Michigan tornado since 1950 and the counties with the most per square mile
- Severe thunderstorm wind in MichiganThe state's severe thunderstorm wind events, by county, year and month
- The Michigan recordEvery hazard in the state, its deadliest events and its federal declarations
- FEMA's risk rating for each hazard in Berrien CountyThe hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download Berrien County's FEMA declarations (CSV)12 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis