Arenac County, Michigan
County storm and disaster record · FIPS 26011 · population 14,991 · 363 sq mi
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 197 records for Arenac County, Michigan from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 158 days; the most frequent are severe thunderstorm wind events (55 records). The most damaging was the May 18, 2020 flood ($5.0 million in 2025 dollars). FEMA has issued 11 declarations naming the county since 1972, 8 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
- 197on 158 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 010 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $7.5Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- Tornadoes
- 9strongest F2
- FEMA declarations
- 11latest 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 Arenac County most?
The most frequent records are severe thunderstorm wind events: 55 since 1957. 53% of its severe thunderstorm wind events since 1957 fell in July and August. 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 | 55 | 46 | 1957-2025 | 0 | 4 | $653K | 41 of 83 |
| Winter storms | 54 | 54 | 1997-2025 | 0 | 0 | $78K | 38 of 83 |
| Hail | 45 | 33 | 1977-2024 | 0 | 0 | $12K | 21 of 83 |
| Floods | 14 | 13 | 1996-2020 | 0 | 0 | $5.2M | 15 of 83 |
| Extreme cold | 9 | 9 | 2007-2026 | 0 | 0 | – | 22 of 83 |
| Tornadoes | 9 | 8 | 1977-2018 | 0 | 6 | $1.6M | 34 of 83 |
| High wind and dust storms | 7 | 4 | 1998-2024 | 0 | 0 | $23K | 72 of 83 |
| Heat | 2 | 2 | 2001-2018 | 0 | 0 | – | 26 of 83 |
| Lightning | 1 | 1 | 2010-2010 | 0 | 0 | $677 | 41 of 83 |
| Fog, smoke and funnel clouds | 1 | 1 | 2008-2008 | 0 | 0 | – | 30 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 Arenac County had?
NOAA records 9 tornadoes in Arenac County from 1977 to 2018, the strongest rated F2, with 0 deaths and 6 injuries recorded in the county. That is 34th 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 9 tornadoes whose track touched Arenac County since 1950 (NOAA's county records number 9, the same count); along their whole tracks they killed 0 people.
Map of the strongest tornado tracks in Michigan.
Every tornado record filed for Arenac County (9)
| Date | Place | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018-08-28 | Sterling, Arenac County | EF0 0.41 mi x 40 yd | 0 | 0 | $53K |
| 2018-08-28 | Au Gres Airport, Arenac County | EF1 0.92 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $82K |
| 2007-07-09 | Standish City Airport, Arenac County | EF0 0.5 mi x 80 yd | 0 | 0 | $23K |
| 2000-05-12 | Alger, Arenac County | F0 0.5 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1997-07-02 | Au Gres, Arenac County | F1 3 mi x 150 yd | 0 | 1 | – |
| 1995-07-13 | Alger, Arenac County | F2 0.1 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1993-04-24 | Arenac County | F2 7 mi x 440 yd | 0 | 3 | $102K |
| 1977-07-08 | Arenac County | F1 1.5 mi x 40 yd | 0 | 1 | $25K step |
| 1977-07-04 | Arenac County | F2 2.5 mi x 90 yd | 0 | 1 | $250K 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 Arenac County?
The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the July 24, 2025 thunderstorm wind ($14,000 in damage in 2025 dollars).
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-02-07 | Cold/Wind ChillArenac County · forecast zone Arenac | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-02-06 | Cold/Wind ChillArenac County · forecast zone Arenac | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-29 | Cold/Wind ChillArenac County · forecast zone Arenac | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-28 | Cold/Wind ChillArenac County · forecast zone Arenac | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-22 | Extreme Cold/Wind ChillArenac County · forecast zone Arenac | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-11-29 | Winter StormArenac County · forecast zone Arenac | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-07-24 | Thunderstorm WindAlger, Arenac County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $14K |
| 2025-02-12 | Winter StormArenac County · forecast zone Arenac | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-02-08 | Winter StormArenac County · forecast zone Arenac | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2023-08-23 | HailAu Gres Airport, Arenac County | 2.00 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2020-05-18 | FloodAlger, Arenac County | 0 | 0 | $5.0M | |
| 2018-08-28 | TornadoSterling, Arenac County | EF0 0.41 mi x 40 yd | 0 | 0 | $53K |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012-05-27 | Thunderstorm WindOmer, Arenac County A large tree fell onto two RV's at the Big Bend Campground on Conrad Rd, near Omer. One RV was destroyed, the other suffered only minor damage. Four campers inside one of the trailers were injured, thankfully none of them seriously. | 50 kt wind | 0 | 4 | $35K |
| 1993-04-24 | TornadoArenac County A tornado touched down in Alger in extreme northwest Arenac County around 1822 EST. The tornado moved northeast and lifted briefly after crossing Highway M-33. The tornado touched down with greater strength just before crossing into Ogemaw County where the Rifle River crosses the Ogemaw/Arenac County line. The tornado ... | F2 7 mi x 440 yd | 0 | 3 | $102K |
| 1997-07-02 | TornadoAu Gres, Arenac County The tornado touched down several miles south of Au Gres and then tracked northward into Au Gres where it dissipated. Three homes were destroyed and several others damaged to varying degrees. This was a strong F1 tornado. | F1 3 mi x 150 yd | 0 | 1 | – |
| 1977-07-08 | TornadoArenac County | F1 1.5 mi x 40 yd | 0 | 1 | $25K step |
| 1977-07-04 | TornadoArenac County | F2 2.5 mi x 90 yd | 0 | 1 | $250K 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.
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020-05-18 | FloodAlger, Arenac County | 0 | 0 | $5.0M | |
| 2018-08-28 | TornadoAu Gres Airport, Arenac County | EF1 0.92 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $82K |
| 2018-08-28 | TornadoSterling, Arenac County | EF0 0.41 mi x 40 yd | 0 | 0 | $53K |
| 2012-05-27 | Thunderstorm WindOmer, Arenac County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 4 | $35K |
| 2007-07-09 | TornadoStandish City Airport, Arenac County | EF0 0.5 mi x 80 yd | 0 | 0 | $23K |
| 2025-07-24 | Thunderstorm WindAlger, Arenac County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $14K |
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: July 4, 1977 (tornado, Arenac 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 Arenac 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 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 11 | 12 | 18 | 9 |
| Winter storms | – | – | – | – | 8 | 25 | 14 | 7 |
| Hail | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 19 | 12 | 9 | 4 |
| Floods | – | – | – | – | 1 | 11 | 1 | 1 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records per calendar decade; zone records from the CZ_TYPE field (Z).
What time of year?
53% of its severe thunderstorm wind events since 1957 fell in July and August. The two busiest months are in violet.
The values, month by month
Jan 21 · Feb 21 · Mar 13 · Apr 12 · May 20 · Jun 29 · Jul 36 · Aug 22 · Sep 5 · Oct 2 · Nov 6 · Dec 10 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for Arenac County
FEMA's register lists 11 declarations that include Arenac County: 6 major disasters, 5 emergencies and 0 fire management assistance declarations. Most were for flood (3) and biological (2).
| Declared | Number | Type | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020-07-09 | DR-4547 | Dam/Levee Break | Severe Storms and Flooding |
| 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 |
| 1999-01-27 | EM-3137 | Snowstorm | Mi - Severe Weather 1/2 /99 |
| 1986-09-18 | DR-774 | Flood | Severe Storms & Flooding |
| 1978-01-27 | EM-3057 | Snowstorm | Blizzards & Snowstorms |
| 1977-03-02 | EM-3035 | Drought | Drought |
| 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 Arenac County had?
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 14 flood or flash flood records for Arenac County from 1996 to 2020, on 13 days, with 0 deaths. By flood insurance claims since 1978 (OpenFEMA, as of September 8, 2026), Arenac County ranks 1214th of 2,942 U.S. counties.
The National Flood Insurance Program has paid $2.1 million on 119 claims filed in Arenac County; the most in one year was 40 in 2020. Claims count insured losses only: uninsured flood damage is not in this file.
The values, year by year
1980: 1 · 1983: 1 · 1984: 1 · 1985: 3 · 1986: 30 · 1989: 4 · 1990: 6 · 1991: 2 · 1995: 1 · 1996: 3 · 1998: 1 · 2001: 1 · 2004: 5 · 2005: 1 · 2007: 2 · 2013: 2 · 2018: 12 · 2019: 2 · 2020: 40 · 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 Arenac County
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Arenac County Very Low overall, with an expected annual loss of $5.9 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Winter Weather | Relatively Moderate | $101K | 12 a year (modeled) |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Low | $929K | 2.2 a year (modeled) |
| Lightning | Relatively Low | $213K | 28 a year (modeled) |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Low | $419K | 2.1 a year (modeled) |
| Hail | Relatively Low | $159K | 1.6 a year (modeled) |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Low | $3.5M | once in about 2 years (modeled) |
| Tornado | Relatively Low | $460K | once in about 6 years (modeled) |
| Coastal Flooding | Very Low | $12K | once in about 71 years (modeled) |
Source: FEMA National Risk Index, county table, December 2025 release. FEMA's National Risk Index map.
Counties that share a border with Arenac 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 Arenac CountyThe hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download Arenac County's FEMA declarations (CSV)11 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis